A  Modern 
Church  Pro-am 


64 


Albert  F.  McGarrah 


tihvavy  of  Che  t:Keolo0ical  ^tmi 

PRINCETON  .  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 
REVEREND  JESSE  HALSEY,  D.D. 

BV    652    .M33    1915 
McGarrah,    Albert   Franklin, 

1878- 
A  modern  church  program 

navy 

1 

CiAX-^L 


A  MODERN  CHURG         _ 
PROGRAM 


A  STUDY  IN  EFFICIENCY  '^^^^ui.AL  %i:^:^ 


BY  / 

ALBERT  F.  McGARRAH 

Lecturer  on  Church  Efficiency  in  McCormick 
Theological  Seminary 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming    H.    Revell    Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  191 5,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:    100   Princes   Street 


DEDICATION 

To  the  Church  of  Christ  throughout  the  world. 
To  the  multitudes  of  her  pastors  and  leaders, 
with  the  millions  of  her  plain  and  untitled  but 
none  the  less  faithful  Christian  men  and  women, 
old  and  young,  who  during  nineteen  centuries 
have  labored  and  sacrificed,  in  fellowship  with 
Christ,  for  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  they  under- 
stood it,  and  the  fruits  of  whose  labors  we  now 
enjoy. 

May  we  of  this  generation  be  as  loyal  in  our 
day  to  the  truth  and  to  the  Kingdom  goals  as 
we  understand  them.  May  we  be  as  faithful  in 
the  use  of  the  vast  God-given  resources  in  our 
hands,  and  for  which  we  are  stewards,  in  hasten- 
ing the  completion  of  their  labors,  as  they  were 
with  their  resources  which  were  so  small  in  com- 
parison with  ours. 


FOREWORD 

A  SERIOUS  crisis  confronts  the  Church 
and  the  churches  of  today.  They  are 
overwhelmed,  not  by  a  closing  of  the 
hearts  of  men  to  spiritual  things  but,  by  the  mar- 
velously  increased  readiness  of  the  world  to  re- 
ceive the  things  of  Christ. 

A  Day  of  Great  Opportunities 

Not  in  many  generations,  probably  not  since 
Reformation  days,  has  the  Church  been  con- 
fronted by  such  grand  opportunities  for  advance, 
for  glorious  conquests  over  the  hearts  of  individ- 
uals, communities,  and  nations. 

From  China  and  Japan,  from  India  and  Mo- 
hammedan lands,  from  the  missions  of  Africa 
and  of  South  America,  the  testimony  is  the 
same — unprecedented  demands  for  Bibles  and 
missionaries  and  greater  harvests  from  the  evan- 
gelistic, educational,  and  other  missionary  efforts. 

Equally  inspiring  is  the  new  interest  of  Ameri- 
cans in  the  things  of  the  spirit,  to  which  all  de- 
nominations testify.  The  annual  accessions  to 
our  churches  and  the  net  gains  in  membership 
have  suddenly  leaped  50  per  cent,  100  per  cent, 
or  even  300  per  cent  over  previous  years.  The 
M.  E.  Church  reports  an  average  net  gain  of 
5 


6  FOREWORD 

i6i,cxD0  in  the  last  two  years,  nearly  200  per  cent 
over  her  average  annual  net  gain  of  56,000  from 
1909  to  1912,  and  she  is  diligently  aiming  at  a 
net  gain  of  250,000  during  the  present  year.  The 
Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A.,  reports  a  net  gain 
of  67,000  last  year,  or  over  three  times  her  aver- 
age net  gain  of  20,000  from  1909  to  191 2.  Her 
accessions  on  confession  each  year  increased  60 
per  cent  from  191 1  to  1915.  Baptists,  Disciples, 
Episcopalians,  Lutherans,  Congregationalists,  and 
most  of  the  smaller  bodies,  likewise  report  a 
rising  tide  of  spiritual  interest  from  Maine  to 
California  and  from  the  palms  of  Florida  to  the 
wind-swept  Dakotas.  The  Wall  Street  Journal 
and  the  Socialist  daily  do  agree  in  recognizing  the 
potential  superiority  of  the  Christian  ideals,  if 
in  nothing  else;  while  European  warriors  and 
American  statesmen  are  discovering  and  re- 
emphasizing  the  fact  that  Christianity  has  not 
yet  been  tried,  and  are  challenging  Christian 
leaders  to  new  efforts  to  establish  throughout  the 
world  a  Christianity  which  is  twenty-four  carats 
pure. 

The  Serious  Question — The  Local  Church 

Tidings  come  from  every  community  in  the 
land  of  a  rich  harvest  awaiting  those  churches 
which  go  efficiently  about  their  task;  of  millions 
of  the  unchurched  who  respond  as  never  before  to 
sane  and  definite  religious  messages,  and  of  other 
millions  within  the  Church  who  have  hitherto 


FOREWORD  7 

merely  lent  their  names  to  Christianity  and  who 
can  now  be  led  as  never  before  to  put  their 
Christian  faith  into  practice,  to  follow  and  serve 
Christ  instead  of  simply  admiring  Him  afar  off. 
Clearly  American  churches  of  today  do  not  lack 
opportunities  for  winning  new  members  or  for 
leading  their  old  members  to  higher  and  worthier 
Christian  lives. 

The  immediate  lack  of  the  average  church  is 
more  easily  met.  It  is  the  lack  of  an  adequate 
policy  and  method ;  the  lack  of  a  far-sightedness 
which  shall  appreciate  and  intelligently  cultivate 
this  new  religious  interest  and  shall  clearly  and 
convincingly  interpret  to  it  the  satisfactions  and 
blessings  which  Christianity  offers ;  the  lack  of  a 
plan  for  utilizing  all  its  new  resources  of  money 
and  equipment  and  of  mobilizing  and  organizing 
every  member  into  a  Macedonian  phalanx — or 
rather  into  a  '  mighty  *  '  modern  '  *  army, '  which 
it  shall  deploy  with  military  strategy  to  perform 
its  share  in  the  conquest  of  its  community  and 
of  all  the  earth;  the  lack  of  a  large  program 
which  shall  comprehend  the  full  meaning  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  shall  cultivate  all  its  interests 
and  hasten  the  enthroning  of  Christ  in  every  in- 
dividual heart,  in  business  and  politics,  in  social 
activity  and  scientific  progress. 

How  shall  each  local  church  perform  her  duties 
as  a  church  of  Christ,  in  these  days  of  oppor- 
tunity for  which  our  fathers  prayed  and  for 
which  the  world  has  been  in  travail  ?    How  shall 


8  FOREWORD 

she  so  formulate  her  strategy  and  employ  and 
direct  her  forces  as  to  drive  back  most  rapidly 
the  wavering  lines  of  individual  sin  and  selfish- 
ness, of  organized  evil  and  social  injustice;  and 
liberate  the  millions  who  long  for  the  true  Christ 
whom  as  yet  they  do  not  clearly  appreciate? 
How  shall  she  succeed  in  "  killing  two  birds 
with  one  stone,"  in  developing  her  present  mem- 
bers more  perfectly  into  the  likeness  of  their 
Lord  by  setting  them  at  work  to  strengthen  their 
spiritual  muscle  by  winning  their  unsaved 
brethren,  by  serving  their  fellows  and  friends 
and  neighbors,  by  bringing  blessing  to  the  poor 
and  needy  of  their  ward  or  township  as  well  as 
to  their  other  neighbors  on  the  far  sides  of  the 
earth  ? 

The  Mighty  Church  Member 

*'  Evangelists  cannot  save  the  world,"  says 
Dr.  Biederwolf,  Secretary  of  the  Commission 
on  Evangelism  of  the  Federal  Council  of 
Churches  of  Christ  in  America,  himself  a  leading 
evangelist.  He  adds,  "  Evangelists  have  a  part 
to  perform  but  it  is  only  a  small  part  of  the 
whole.  Neither  can  ministers  and  missionaries 
save  the  world,  indispensable  and  noble  as  their 
work  is.  The  world  must  be  saved  by  ordinary 
individuals,  by  lay  Christians,  who  help  save 
themselves  by  saving  others."  The  fourth  chap- 
ter of  Ephesians  tells  how,  under  the  leadership 
of  pastors  and  evangelists,  the  saints,  the  ordi- 


FOREWORD  9 

nary  members,  are  to  do  the  ministering,  "  till 
we  all  attain  "  more  perfectly  unto  "  a  full  grown 
man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  full- 
ness of  Christ,  that  we  may  be  no  longer  chil- 
dren," but  "  may  grow  up  in  all  things." 

This  is  not  the  day  for  superficial  doctrines  nor 
for  lengthy  discussions,  but  for  central  truths  and 
immediate  action.  Finely  polished  creeds  are 
grand,  but  a  simple  statement  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  corroborated  by  practice,  will  serve  in 
the  present  urgent  crisis  and  there  is  no  time  to 
lose. 

A  Lesson  from  Militarism 

Neither  is  this  merely  the  day  for  detached 
methods  and  petty  details.  Tactics  are  fine,  but 
it  is  the  organizing  intelligence  of  Europe  that  is 
guiding  her  vast  armies  to  victories.  Foresight, 
superiority  of  plans_,  efficiency  of  equipment  and 
training,  and  organizing  and  strategic  genius  are 
proven  far  superior  to  brute  force  or  abstract 
knowledge  or  racial  superiority. 

The  Church  likewise  must  remember  that  it  is 
not  dreams  and  emotions  but  equipment  and 
brains,  not  theology  but  vitality,  not  large  num- 
bers but  the  skill  with  which  they  are  enlisted 
and  organized  and  directed,  which  will  win  her 
victories.  The  children  of  this  world  are  still 
proving  by  their  efficiency  in  warfare  that  they 
are  wiser  than  the  children  of  light.  Hand-to- 
hand  work  counts  if  the  equipment  is  good,  but 


10  FOREWORD 

the  problems  and  activities  of  even  a  modest- 
sized  church  in  this  complex  age  are  too  com- 
plex, and  on  too  large  a  scale,  to  be  solved  in 
the  day  of  battle.  Back  of  every  victorious 
church,  as  of  every  victorious  army,  there  w^ill 
be  found  an  organizer  with  skill  and  with 
strategic  talent,  an  arsenal  of  supplies,  complete 
plans  for  a  long  campaign,  and  a  counselor  in 
dealing  with  local  situations  and  with  special 
problems  as  they  develop. 

Nearer  home,  the  successful  churches  of  to- 
day teach  the  same  lesson  of  how  God  is  on  the 
side  of  the  church  which  sets  every  member  to 
work,  which  has  a  well-wrought-out  program,  a 
carefully  unified  organization,  diligent  and  com- 
petent leaders  in  every  office  and  committee,  and 
efficient  privates  in  the  rear  rank.  They  win  the 
greatest  and  most  permanent  victories  in  the  war- 
fare against  the  powers  of  darkness,  even  as  the 
modern  army,  with  its  machine  guns  and  tele- 
phones, its  aeroplanes  and  submarines,  its  perfect 
organization  and  esprit  de  corps,  is  putting  supe- 
rior numbers  to  disastrous  defeat  if  they  depend 
on  antiquated  equipment,  and  plans,  and  methods. 

A  Modern  Church  Program 

A  modern  church  must  have  an  adequate  mod- 
ern program.  What  must  be  the  characteristics 
of  such  a  program  for  a  church  of  today? 

It  must  be  far-sighted.  Every  church  must 
have  a  definite  policy  instead  of  ''  waiting  for 


FOREWORD  11 

something  to  turn  up."  It  must  look  as  far 
ahead  as  German  "militarism"  or  British  "naval- 
ism."  Otherwise  it  is  disloyal  to  the  God  who 
is  the  source  of  all  business  sense  and  the 
originator  of  all  efficiency  ideas  and  methods,  and 
who  wants  them  used  for  the  promotion  of  Peace 
and  Life  rather  than  of  Death  and  Destruction. 

It  must  be  comprehensive.  It  must  include 
evangelism  and  missions  and  education  and  com- 
munity welfare  and  human  betterment.  It  must 
recognize  that  God  is  the  creator  of  all  men  and 
of  all  of  men  and  that  He  is  concerned  for  all  of 
these.  It  must  forbid  any  of  its  members  to 
think  that  God  can  give  them  His  fullest  blessing 
and  approval  so  long  as  they  are  indifferent  to 
the  physical  or  intellectual  or  social  or  economic 
or  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  any  of  their 
weaker  or  less  fortunate  fellow-men,  "  God's 
other  children." 

It  must  be  well-balanced.  It  must  recognize 
that  Man  is  pre-eminently  spiritual,  and  that, 
while  his  body  and  mind  and  home  are  to  be  re- 
deemed, yet  the  development  of  his  spiritual 
powers  is  the  supreme  end  of  all  these,  and  that 
all  things  are  of  value  only  as  aids  to  this  end. 

It  must  be  complete.  It  must  include  and 
dominate  and  co-ordinate  and  give  largest  effi- 
ciency to  the  policy  and  program  of  each  of  its 
departments  and  societies.  It  must  place  the 
church  first,  insisting  that  all  its  member-organi- 
zations shall  work  in  harmony  with  itself  as  the 


12  FOREWORD 

body.  Yet  it  must  properly  recognize  and  intelli- 
gently provide  for  the  utmost  welfare  of  all  its 
parts,  from  the  parish  house  and  the  Scouts  to 
the  women  and  the  Sabbath  School. 

It  must  be  successful.  Theories  and  prin- 
ciples are  good  but  "  results  Count."  "  By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them  "  is  as  true  of  a  church 
or  of  its  program  as  of  an  individual.  Many 
churches  have  secured  and  are  securing  most 
wonderful  results  along  one  or  several  lines. 
The  programs  and  methods  used  by  such 
churches  must  be  diligently  and  patiently  scruti- 
nized and  the  fundamental  principles  and  plans 
combined  into  a  workable  and  well-balanced 
whole. 

It  must  be  flexible.  In  an  incoherent  and 
changing  age,  it  must  be  capable  of  adaptation  to 
any  community  or  situation,  and  of  constant  re- 
adjustment to  changing  conditions  and  needs. 

It  must  be  capable  of  inter-denominational 
adaptation.  The  Church,  in  every  city  or  com- 
munity, is  a  unity.  Team  work  will  multiply 
results  and  power.  Army  divisions  cannot  co- 
operate properly  with  other  divisions  unless  their 
policy  and  program  are  similar.  Church  organi- 
zation and  methods  must  cease  to  be  predomi- 
nantly denominational  and  must  become  rather 
predominantly  community.  Each  church  will 
gain  greatly  when  a  general  program  is  followed 
simultaneously  by  all  the  churches  in  the  same 
newspaper  district. 


FOREWORD  13 

In  this  manual,  the  writer  has  sought  to  in- 
corporate the  results  of  years  of  study  of  the 
science  of  "  Church  Engineering,"  the  fruits  of 
personal  visits  and  counsel  to  thousands  of 
churches  of  every  denomination  and  location  and 
of  every  size  and  problem.  It  presents  a  com- 
prehensive but  simple  and  workable  program, 
every  element  of  which  has  been  tested  and  ap- 
plied with  largest  success,  which  can  be  used  by 
any  church  or  group  of  churches  with  great  ad- 
vantage. It  is  not  all  new.  Most  of  it  is  as  old 
as  Wesley,  or  Calvin,  or  the  New  Testament 
times.  It  is  new  chiefly  because  of  its  compre- 
hensiveness and  of  its  presentation  in  such  form 
as  to  be  feasible  for  any  community. 

May  it  help  to  hasten  the  day  when,  by  Man's 
co-operation  with  God^  and  by  his  faithful  and 
efficient  use  of  all  the  material  and  spiritual 
forces  and  resources  over  which  Infinite  Wisdom 
and  Power  has  given  him  dominion,  the  prayer 
of  our  Lord  shall  be  fully  answered :  "  May  thy 
Kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven, 
so  on  earth." 

Chicago,  A.  F.  McG. 

August,  1915. 


CONTENTS 

I.  A   Constructive   Modern   Church 

Year 17 

II.  Church  Visitation  and  Efficiency    25 

III.  An   Autumn    Church   Efficiency 

Campaign 33 

IV.  Efficient  Preparation  for  a  Cam- 

paign     43 

V.  Some  Vital  Questions  Answered    52 

VI.  The  Follow-up  Campaign       .       .    61 

VII.  Federated    City    Efficiency    Pro- 
grams   T] 

VIII.  Publicity  Committee  Activities     .    86 

IX.  Six  Essential  Factors  of  an  Effi- 
cient Church 99 

Appendix  A 115 

Appendix  B 118 


A  CONSTRUCTIVE  MODERN  CHURCH 
YEAR 

A  CHURCH  year  is  an  essential  basis  for 
the  most  successful  work  of  any  church. 
-The  old  ideal  of  a  "Church  Year"  as 
formulated  in  medieval  times,  and  which  gen- 
erally prevails  even  now — ^the  observance  of  spe- 
cial seasons  for  traditional  reasons — is  far  short 
of  the  church  year  needed  today,  and  must  be 
vastly  transformed  before  it  will  conform  satis- 
factorily to  the  present  conditions  and  actual 
problems  which  confront  the  churches  of  this 
age. 

Yet  a  constructive  "  church  year,"  as  already 
clearly  developed  or  dimly  foreshadowed  in  thou- 
sands of  churches,  appeals  to  every  statesman  as 
a  marked  stride  toward  real  church  efficiency. 
We  may  confidently  anticipate  that  almost  every 
church  will,  within  a  few  years,  adopt  a  practical 
modern  church  year,  harmonizing  all  its  social 
and  spiritual  activities  in  a  comprehensive  annual 
program  adapted  to  its  local  situation. 

(A.)  Why  a  Church  Year? 

Every  institution  is  greatly  affected  by  the  sea- 
sonal interests  and  activities. — physical,  social,  in- 
17 


18    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

tellectual,  and  economic — of  its  constituency. 
Though  factories  and  banks  maintain  certain  ac- 
tivities at  all  seasons,  yet  even  they  have  their 
rush  and  slack  periods,  while  their  seasonal 
activities  supplement  and  greatly  modify  even 
their  routine  work.  While  churches  are  more 
successful  today  than  ever  before,  yet  no  church 
can  attain  to  its  largest  efficiency  until  it  studies 
its  seasonable  opportunities  and  duties  as  care- 
fully as  a  department  store  studies  the  times  for 
pushing  school  books  and  house  furnishings, 
Panama  hats  and  Christmas  presents,  garden 
tools  and  fruit  jars. 

The  Church  learns  the  lesson  from  the  farm, 
whence  Christ  drew  so  many  parables.  Farmers 
nurture  corn  and  cabbages,  while  churches  nur- 
ture immortal  spirits ;  but  nurture  presupposes 
times  for  plowing  and  subsoiling,  for  harrowing 
and  seed-sowing,  for  cultivating  the  growing  life 
and  protecting  it  from  its  enemies,  for  gathering 
the  harvests  and  conserving  the  fruitage  of  the 
year's  labor  before  it  becomes  overripe  or  is  de- 
stroyed by  unfavorable  autumn  storms.  The 
farm  year  begins  with  spring  and  ends  with  au- 
tumn. The  church  year,  with  equal  distinctness, 
begins  with  autumn  and  ends  with,  or  at  least 
reaches  its  climax  in,  the  spring. 

This  does  not  mean  that  a  church  should  sow 
seed  only  in  the  autumn  or  harvest  results  only 
in  the  spring.  As  the  farmer  uses  part  of  his 
winter  leisure  to  study  his  work,  to  do  winter 


A  CONSTRUCTIVE  CHURCH  YEAR    19 

plowing,  and  to  scatter  grass-seed  on  the  snow, 
so  will  the  minister  utilize  part  of  his  summer 
energies.  As  the  agriculturist  harvests  asparagus 
and  rhubarb  before  his  corn  is  planted,  or  plants 
winter  wheat  while  corn  conservation  is  at  its 
zenith,  so  the  soul-culturist  will  carefully  con- 
serve everything  that  ripens  in  the  autumn,  and 
will  sow  seed  in  the  spring  at  every  opportunity. 
But  as  there  is  "  a  time  for  everything  under  the 
sun,"  the  Church  must  study  the  divinely  or- 
dained seasonal  laws  which  apply  to  its  work  and 
seize  the  providential  times  for  all  its  activities. 

(B.)  The  Church  Year  in  Outline 
(i.)   The  Autumn 

Instead  of  deploring  the  socially  disintegrating 
and  demoralizing  forces  of  summer,  the  wise 
churchman  rejoices  in  them.  To  his  prophetic 
insight  the  wisdom  and  the  goodness  of  the 
Almighty  are  revealed  in  the  placing  of  latent 
church-workers  in  the  midst  of  the  unchurched, 
in  the  seasonal  weakening  of  lodge  and  club  and 
other  ties  which  absorb  spiritual  energies  as 
suckers  absorb  the  vitality  of  growing  corn. 

God  gives  the  farmer  a  new  chance  each  spring. 
He  reduces  the  demands  upon  the  growing  stems 
that  their  overplus  of  branches  may  be  pruned 
v/ithout  danger  before  their  new  growth  begins. 
He  deepens  and  loosens  and  increases  the  fertil- 
ity of  the  soil  by  snows  and  floods  and  frosts  and 
thaws.     He  saturates  the  ground  with  moisture 


20    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

and  the  sun's  heat  so  that  seeds  may  sprout  and 
root  properly  and  plants  may  attain  a  reasonable 
growth  before  the  summer  heat  which  burns  up 
seedlings  while  it  blesses  the  maturer  plants. 

So  God  grants  to  each  church  annually  new 
opportunities  for  improved  husbandry.  The  mov- 
ing seasons  of  spring  and  autumn,  the  broaden- 
ing experiences  of  summer  vacations,  the  break- 
ing of  old  associations,  the  stimulus  of  new 
employments  and  surroundings  and  acquaint- 
ances upon  each  individual  and  each  community, 
in  the  school  and  in  the  home,  in  economic  and 
social  affairs — these  are  to  each  church  what  win- 
ter and  spring  are  to  the  farmer.  They  give  her 
the  chance  to  end  and  forget  the  mistakes  of  the 
past  in  a  new  and  wiser  campaign,  to  introduce 
new  methods  and  ideals  most  effectively,  to  ap- 
proach the  disaffected  folk  with  new  hopeful- 
ness, to  prune  away  interests  and  associations  and 
ideals  which  are  hurtful  to  her  members  and  to 
her  community,  to  clear  away  spiritual  thorns 
and  briers  and  to  break  up  the  fallow  ground 
more  easily,  to  appropriate  vast  fields  in  the  lives 
of  members  and  non-members  before  they  are 
fully  occupied  by  other  interests. 

Instead  of  autumn's  necessary  readjustments 
being  hindrances  to  church  work,  they  are  as 
beneficial  as  are  the  storms  of  the  vernal  equinox 
to  the  farmer's  spring  work.  The  Church  must 
simply  revise  her  program,  mobiHze  her  forces, 
and  improve  her  methods,  so  as  to  take  advan- 


A  CONSTRUCTIVE  CHURCH  YEAR    21 

tage  of  them  to  the  full.  Farmers  must  grub 
and  plow  and  sow  and  prune  and  cultivate,  ac- 
cording to  well-made  plans,  before  the  season  is 
too  far  advanced,  before  the  summer  drouth 
bakes  the  ground,  before  great  weeds  and  new 
thorns  develop ;  so  each  church  must  plan  well  in 
advance  to  undertake  such  timely  and  strenuous 
autumn  activities  as  will  pre-empt  the  unoccu- 
pied time  and  interest  of  her  members,  will  gain 
her  new  neighbors  before  other  associations  have 
been  made  and  their  minds  have  settled  into  the 
unresponsive  grooves  of  winter  routine,  will  sow 
the  seed  of  more  worthy  ideals  and  more  ade- 
quate Christian  purposes  in  the  lives  of  all  indi- 
viduals and  of  the  community  before  all  the 
space  is  occupied  by  social  and  economic  and 
intellectual  cares  and  before  all  their  enthusiasm 
has  been  exhausted  upon  less  important  matters, 
she  must  provide  activities  and  associations  and 
nurture  new  affections  which  shall  not  only  expel 
others  that  are  inferior,  but  shall  grow  strong 
enough  and  root  deeply  enough  to  hold  their 
own  before  they  are  overshadowed  and  choked 
by  others  which,  even  though  proper,  are  but 
second-best.  This  is,  in  large  measure,  the  peren- 
nial autumn  duty  and  task  of  every  church. 

(2.)   The  Winter 

Each  winter  reveals  human  enthusiasms  for 
big  business  and  cravings  for  social  adventures; 
but  these,  instead  of  being  a  curse,  vividly  reveal 


22    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

the  vast  undeveloped  potentialities  for  winter 
achievements  in  spiritual  lines  if  wise  church- 
leaders  will  pre-empt  and  harness  the  hungers 
and  forces  thus  disclosed  for  church  programs 
of  equal  magnitude,  made  with  equal  wisdom  and 
definiteness,  brought  to  public  attention  with 
equal  tact  and  effectiveness,  carried  through  with 
equal  bigness  of  enthusiasm  and  purpose  and 
under  equally  competent  administrative  leader- 
ship. The  popularity  of  university  extension 
and  other  educational  courses  reminds  us  also 
that  churches  should  have  weekday  religious 
educational  work  of  real  intellectual  and  social 
value. 

(3.)   The  Summer 

Instead  of  the  summer  season  being  an  occa- 
sion for  despair,  the  misunderstood  auto  and  the 
auto-season  are  divinely  offered  opportunities. 
The  autoist  can  be  awakened  to  a  social  sym- 
pathy for  those  who  cannot  enjoy  the  open 
country  and  the  glories  of  nature  without  his 
machine  and  his  help.  Auto-loads  of  men  and 
women,  speakers  and  singers,  can  be  mobilized 
for  the  rural  evangelization  of  an  entire  county 
if  preparations  are  carefully  made.  The  park 
season,  the  longings  for  travel,  for  ten-day  ex- 
cursions, for  week-end  trips,  for  house  parties, 
and  for  outdoor  camps,  can  be  wonderfully  util- 
ized for  spiritual  retreats  at  country  places,  for 
character-forming  camps  for  young  people,  for 


A  CONSTRUCTIVE  CHURCH  YEAR    23 

vacation  Bible  schools,  for  park  services.  Ten- 
day  vacation  time  Efficiency  Institutes  for  the 
present  and  potential  leaders  of  every  depart- 
ment of  church  work  may  be  conducted  at  at- 
tractive spots  in  every  county  and  community  as 
regularly  and  successfully  as  the  annual  mid- 
winter Farmers'  Institute,  under  denominational 
or  interdenominational  auspices. 

(4.)   The  Springtime 

The  Lenten  season,  with  the  annual  testimony 
of  nature  to  immortality,  with  its  world-wide  em- 
phasis upon  religion,  and  its  newspaper  reports 
of  Lenten  activities,  with  its  partial  cessation  of 
worldly  activities,  is  pre-eminently  the  season  for 
crystallizing  and  conserving  all  those  enlarged 
religious  interests  which  a  year  of  activity  has 
developed  among  its  members,  and  for  the  har- 
vesting into  membership  and  to  devoted  lives  of 
Christian  service  for  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  of 
all  those  who  have  been  in  any  way  interested 
during  the  year. 

To  these  ends,  rally  days,  Lenten  campaigns, 
and  many  other  seasonable  activities  have  been 
pretty  widely  established,  but  the  good  results 
from  their  isolated  and  unrelated  use  are  but 
faint  illustrations  of  the  multiplied  results  which 
are  being  gained  by  a  few  churches  that  have 
already  grasped  the  possibilities  through  a  com- 
plete church  year  and  have  properly  worked  out 


24    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

and  carried  through  a  really  comprehensive  an- 
nual program. 

The  Conclusion 

The  time  has  come  for  the  churches  to  recog- 
.nize  these  annual  cycles  of  opportunity  and  to 
improve  them  by  adopting  constructive  church 
programs  of  revolutionary  magnitude — for 
twelve-month  campaigns — which  shall  be  peren- 
nially repeated,  and  which  shall  properly  co- 
ordinate and  enlarge  and  give  multiplied  efficiency 
to,  all  the  social,  educational,  publicity,  financial, 
missionary,  administrative,  and  other  activities  of 
the  Church  as  a  whole  and  of  each  of  its  organ- 
izations. 


II 


CHURCH  VISITATION  AND 
EFFICIENCY 

TWO  of  the  most  serious  problems  of  the 
average  church  are  these:  First,  to  en- 
list all  its  folks  in  such  Christian  work 
as  is  adapted  to  their  spiritual  and  other  attain- 
ments and  will  insure  their  most  rapid  maturity 
in  spiritual  health  and  strength,  and,  second,  to 
get  all  the  work  done  that  ought  to  be  done  in 
and  for  and  by  the  church. 

(A.)  Every  Member  Needs  Work  to  Do 

In  the  fields  of  physical  and  intellectual  de- 
velopment, the  primary  importance  of  exercise 
is  fully  recognized.  But  there  is  no  more  folly  in 
expecting  to  develop  healthful  young  women  by 
simply  feeding  and  clothing  them,  while  neg- 
lecting the  matter  of  physical  exercise,  than  there 
is  in  expecting  to  develop  Christian  strength 
simply  by  supplying  church  members  with  beau- 
tiful surroundings  and  fine  sermons. 

Efforts  to  promote  spiritual  wisdom  by  con- 
ducting Bible  study  without  assigning  tasks 
which  put  every  lesson  into  practice  will  be  as 
25 


26    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

disappointing  as  efforts  to  make  mechanics  of 
boys  who  never  used  machinery  or  to  develop 
master  logicians  without  practice  in  conversa- 
tional or  public  debates. 

Highly  polished  sermons  are  best.  But  as 
bread  and  potatoes  hold  small  attraction  for  the 
"  indoor  girl  "  whose  tastes  will  run  to  spices 
and  pickles  and  chocolates,  so  sermons  filled  with 
moral  and  spiritual  food  make  little  appeal  to 
idle  church  members.  Their  chief  concern  will 
be  with  literary  style  and  delivery,  or  with  the 
relative  merits  of  soloists,  or  with  the  minister's 
good  taste  in  choosing  neckties,  and  with  the 
length  of  his  prayers. 

A  thorough  study  of  the  Bible  and  its  doc- 
trines is  fundamental ;  but  unless  efforts  are 
made  to  apply  these  doctrines  to  life  the  tendency 
will  be  to  abstract  discussions  of  the  "  ancient 
fathers "  instead  of  *'  present-day  sons "  of 
Jonah,  instead  of  our  personal  sins  and  tempta- 
tions and  how  to  meet  them. 

As  indigestion,  nervousness,  and  ill-temper  are 
likely  to  follow  rich  food  with  idleness,  so  criti- 
cisms of  the  pastor  and  church  quarrels  become 
serious  problems  in  churches  where  spiritual  in- 
activity has  induced  spiritual  dyspepsia.  As 
physical  and  mental  athletes  may  be  developed 
only  by  hard  labor  and  exhausting  intellectual 
activities,  so  hardy,  wholesome,  and  red-blooded 
Christians  can  be  developed  only  by  diligent 
work  for  the  Church  and  for  their  fellow-men. 


CHURCH  VISITATION  Ti 

Bible  study  and  prayer  and  attendance  on  serv- 
ices are  not  Christian  exercises,  but  preparation 
therefor. 

Christians  whose  church  letters  lie  in  trunks, 
who  go  motoring  on  Sunday  morning,  who  feed 
church  troubles,  who  emphasize  orthodoxy  or 
heterodoxy  to  the  neglect  of  brotherly  love,  and 
who  yield  easily  to  temptation,  are  largely  the 
church  members  whose  spiritual  diet  was  not 
accompanied  by  such  attention  to  spiritual  hy- 
giene and  exercise  as  would  enable  them  to 
secure  pleasure  and  strength  from  very  poor 
sermons. 

(B.)  The  Need  of  Workers 

On  the  other  hand,  abundant  occupations  can 
be  assigned  in  looking  out  for  new  members  and 
helping  to  develop  present  members,  in  develop- 
ing missions  or  Sunday-school  classes,  or  in  help- 
ing in  many  ways  to  meet  the  educational,  social, 
financial,  and  other  spiritual  tasks  of  the  church  ; 
in  providing  athletics,  camps,  domestic  science, 
manual  training,  and  vocational  counsel  for  boys 
and  girls ;  in  helping  inexperienced  housekeepers 
and  young  mothers;  in  giving  brotherly  encour- 
agement to  young  men  who  are  making  a  start  in 
life,  and  to  older  men  who  lack  suitable  employ- 
ment; in  making  provision  for  the  poor  or  the 
wronged,  for  the  aged  and  the  lonely,  for  stran- 
gers and  new-comers,  for  the  tempted  and  the 


28    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

backslider,  for  any  of  the  individual  or  social 
needs  of  members  of  the  church  and  of  the  com- 
munity. 

If  any  member  or  adherent  of  any  church  lacks 
opportunity  to  exercise  his  spiritual  powers,  it 
is  not  for  lack  of  tasks.  Every  wide-aw^ake  pas- 
tor can  find  work  for  every  man  and  woman,  for 
every  boy  and  girl,  which  will  keep  them  out  of 
mischief  and  obviate  the  danger  of  backsliding 
in  morals  or  interest. 

(C.)  Where  Is  the  Remedy? 

But  the  problem  has  been  to  start  the  mem- 
bers to  work  and  to  develop  in  them  the  ability 
to  undertake  increasing  responsibilities.  Incom- 
petence and  unwillingness  among  their  members 
in  the  matter  of  service  have  been  the  despair 
of  modem  pastors.        ^* 

The  solution  of  this  problem  is  being  found, 
by  the  up-to-date  pastor  and  his  wide-awake  offi- 
cers, to  lie  in  the  visitation  idea,  which  is 
spreading  so  rapidly.  The  every-member  can- 
vass for  pledges  proved  a  financial  gold  mine  for 
the  church,  but  it  yielded  by-products  of  even 
greater  value.  Thousands  of  canvassers  for 
church  pledges  were  like  sheep-dogs — one  taste 
gave  them  an  appetite  for,  and  the  habit  of  doing, 
church  work.  Besides,  their  visits  blessed  the 
churches.  New  members  were  found  and  old 
ones  reclaimed,  the  caste  spirit  tumbled,  and  a 
new  social  friendliness  resulted,  family  prayers 


CHURCH  VISITATION  29 

and  district  prayer  meetings  were  established,  dis- 
trict prayer  meetings  and  men's  Bible  classes 
were  revived,  and  brotherhoods  formed,  etc. 

Hence  the  discovery :  //  men  and  woman  who 
have  hitherto  avoided  responsibility  in  and  work 
for  the  church  can  be  enlisted  for  a  visitation, 
because  it  lasts  only  a  half  day,  because  they 
have  a  definite  task  to  accomplish,  because  every- 
body is  doing  it  at  the  same  time,  because  they 
have  the  privilege  of  choosing  a  teammate  and 
of  going  where  they  are  willing  to  go ;  and  if  such 
visitors  are  led  to  study  their  Bibles  more  regu- 
larly, to  attend  and  to  boost  the  church  more  and 
to  volunteer  for  further  service,  and  if  folks  are 
so  hungry  for  church  visits  by  ordinary  folk  of 
their  own  level,  with  whom  they  can  become  ac- 
quainted, why  not  arrange  for  visitations  for 
other  purposes  than  finance,  in  which  every  mem- 
ber, however  timid  or  tactless  or  inexperienced, 
can  be  used  and  developed  for  larger  tasks  and 
greater  responsibilities  ? 

(D.)  When  Visitations  Are  Made 

The  proposition  usually  takes  this  form: 
From  20  to  30  per  cent  of  the  members  are  asked 
to  serve  in  a  grand  social  and  spiritual  visitation 
on  a  Sunday  afternoon  three  or  four  times  a  year. 
A  definite  purpose  is  developed.  A  letter  is  sent 
out  to  everyone  that  is,  or  might  become,  con- 
nected with  the  church,  explaining  the  matter, 
and  the  visitors  are  trained  in  the  light  of  the 


30     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

purposes  of  each  visitation.  Large  results  are 
attempted  and  large  things  expected. 

The  first  visitation  is  usually  made  in  the 
autumn,  on  the  Sabbath  before  Rally  Day.  It 
is  found  most  desirable  to  set  aside  the  entire 
month  of  October  for  an  autumn  Rally  and  *'  Go- 
to-Church "  Campaign,  in  which  the  effort  is 
made  to  secure  the  largest  possible  average  at- 
tendance upon  all  the  services  of  the  church  and 
of  each  organization, to  arouse  every  former  mem- 
ber of  the  church  and  Sabbath  School,  especially 
those  who  have  grown  indifferent,  to  the  largest 
possible  enthusiasm ;  to  interest  in  the  church  all 
the  new-comers  and  as  many  of  the  old  residents 
as  possible;  to  establish  the  habit  of  regular 
church  attendance;  to  enlist  for  church  member- 
ship those  who  are  prepared ;  to  enlist  every  per- 
son for  membership  in  some  Sunday-school  class 
and  in  at  least  one  other  organization ;  and  so  to 
perfect  the  machinery  and  arouse  the  loyalty  of 
the  members  as  to  insure  to  the  church  its  high- 
est possible  efficiency  for  the  year,  especially  for 
the  intensive  midwinter  educational,  devotional, 
and  spiritual  campaign,  and  for  the  Lenten  evan- 
gelistic campaign. 

The  second  visitation  will  ordinarily  be  made 
on  the  first  Sabbath  of  January,  when  a  special 
effort  is  put  forth  to  obtain  the  largest  possible 
enrollment  in  special  educational  classes  outside 
the  Sunday-school  hour,  to  insure  a  deep  interest 


CHURCH  VISITATION  31 

in,  and  a  large  attendance  at,  the  community 
prayer  meetings  during  the  following  days,  etc. 

The  slogan  has  been  used,  "  Start  the  New 
Year  right.  Go  to  church  tonight  and  all  this 
year.  Give  religion  a  pre-eminent  place.  Estab- 
lish a  family  altar  in  your  home  and  the  habit 
of  daily  Bible  study  and  prayer  in  your  life." 

The  third  visitation  is  made  at  the  beginning 
of  a  Lenten  Evangelistic  Campaign,  in  which  an 
effort  is  made  to  harvest  all  the  results  of  the 
work  of  the  church  for  the  year,  to  bring  all 
the  members  to  the  highest  possible  levels  of 
Christian  faith  and  faithfulness,  and  to  lead  all 
those  who  are  prepared  to  a  public  acceptance 
of  Christ  and  entrance  upon  lives  of  definite 
service  as  church  members. 

Other  special  visitations  may  be  made  at  suit- 
able seasons  for  the  sake  of  the  finances,  for 
securing  a  complete  spiritual  or  social  survey  of 
the  community,  for  emphasizing  the  ideals  of 
Christian  citizenship  just  before  an  election  in 
which  moral  matters  are  concerned,  or  for  some 
other  special  purpose. 

(E.)  Results  To  Be  Expected 

If  properly  arranged  for  and  followed  up,  such 
a  visitation  program  will  usually  result  in  a 
veritable  revolution  in  the  spirit  and  life  of  a 
church  and  of  all  its  people,  in  enrolling  multi- 
tudes of  new  workers  and  new  members.  One 
Chicago  church  added  over  300  per  cent  to  its 


32     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

attendance  and  over  loo  per  cent  to  its  mem- 
bership within  six  months,  beginning  with  such 
a  visitation  and  having  a  follow-up  along  these 
lines.  Some  classes  increased  tenfold  in  num- 
bers and  attendance.  In  the  Fourth  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Chicago  more  than  lOO  men  and 
women  are  enrolled  for  regular  visitation  work, 
while  the  men  alone  average  more  than  lOO  calls 
per  week.  An  Indiana  church  has  district  com- 
mittees which  make  four  complete  annual  visita- 
tions before  its  communion  services  and  which 
look  after  the  sick  and  the  poor,  the  disaffected 
and  the  indifferent,  as  well  as  the  pastor  could. 
When  the  visitation  work  is  done  so  largely  by 
his  members,  the  pastor  will  not  only  have  far 
larger  and  more  attentive  audiences,  but  he  can 
take  more  time  to  prepare  his  sermon,  to  teach 
the  necessary  Bible  and  catechetical  classes,  etc. 
Any  church  will  increase  its  efficiency  from  25 
to  100  per  cent  by  such  enlistment  of  its  mem- 
bers in  easy  tasks,  so  preparing  them  for  more 
difficult  tasks. 


Ill 


AN  AUTUMN  CHURCH  EFFICIENCY 
CAMPAIGN 

(A.)  Making  Definite  Plans 

THE  first  step  is  to  make  plans.  No  effi- 
cient builder  begins  a  job  until  he  has 
made  complete  blue-prints,  both  in  gen- 
eral and  iti  detail;  so  the  efficient  church  man- 
ager. Blue-prints  and  church  plans  must  be 
modified  as  work  progresses,  but  inefficiency,  if 
not  disaster,  will  result  unless  they  are  made  as 
a  whole. 

The  program  for  the  entire  year  should  be  out- 
lined, providing  for  logical  and  strategic  advance 
each  month.  The  autumn  rally  and  attendance 
campaign,  for  enthusing  old  members  and  en- 
listing new  members  in  all  branches  of  the  work, 
will  be  launched  early  in  September,  will  con- 
tinue under  full  headway  until  November  i, 
when  its  demands  as  to  time  and  enthusiasm  will 
be  somewhat  relaxed.  It  will  gradually  merge 
into  the  winter  campaign  of  intensive  devotional 
and  educational  activities,  which  reaches  full 
headway  early  in  January  and  merges  into  the 
Lenten  Evangelistic  and  Harvest  Campaign 
about  March  i. 


34     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Of  course  the  autumn  campaign  can  begin 
several  weeks  later  if  full  preparations  cannot  be 
made  by  October  i. 

Detailed  plans  for  the  autumn  campaign 
should  be  made  early.  One  church  of  1,300  mem- 
bers formulated  its  program  for  the  year,  and 
especially  for  the  autumn,  during  the  preceding 
May  and  June :  including  tentative  sermon  sub- 
jects for  every  Sabbath  of  the  year,  the  different 
progressive  steps  to  be  taken  during  the  year, 
with  dates  ;  the  appointment  of  an  executive  com- 
mittee, the  preparation  of  full  lists  of  the  people 
to  be  visited,  the  names  of  the  autumn  visitors, 
the  district  boundaries,  the  appointment  of  spe- 
cial committees  for  every  organization  and  de- 
partment for  making  plans  and  for  conserving 
results ;  the  appointment  of  a  chairman,  with  per- 
manent executive  and  general  committees,  for 
each  district;  the  preparation  of  preliminary 
drafts  of  all  advertising  matter  and  of  complete 
card  indexes,  arrangements  for  the  necessary 
funds,  the  goals  to  be  suggested  for  each  organ- 
ization and  department,  etc.  No  wonder  that 
church  made,  in  that  year,  a  net  gain  at  every 
point,  which  was  from  50  to  200  per  cent  greater 
than  the  corresponding  net  advances  during  the 
preceding  year. 

Only  general  plans  should  be  announced  in  the 
spring.  An  invaluable  psychological  effect  is 
usually  obtained  by  fostering  curiosity,  by  de- 
laying announcements  of  details  until  their  pub- 


AN  AUTUMN  CAMPAIGN  35 

licity  is  essential.  To  announce  many  details  at 
once  may  bewilder  and  discourage  folks.  Be- 
sides, the  details,  and  even  the  general  plans, 
should  be  subject  to  revision,  if  good  reason  ap- 
pears, even  while  they  are  in  execution. 

(B.)  The  Heart  of  the  Campaign 
The  autumn  campaign  usually  centers  about 
what  may  be  announced  either  as  a  "  Go-to- 
Church"  Campaign  or  as  a  Rally,  lasting  four 
or  five  weeks,  usually  through  October.  This 
should  never  exceed  six  weeks.  It  is  difficult  to 
hold  attention  at  white  heat,  which  is  so  essential, 
for  a  longer  time,  since  the  end  will,  to  most 
folks,  seem  too  far  away  and  too  difficult  to 
reach.  Besides,  a  long  campaign  borrows  from 
the  enthusiasm  and  energy  which  are  demanded 
by  the  even  more  important  winter  and  spring 
campaigns.  Work  should  be  continuously  main- 
tained on  a  high  level,  as  we  shall  see,  but  the 
tension  should  be  voluntarily  reduced  before  the 
inevitable  reaction.  Special  campaigns,  like  ser- 
mons, are  more  stimulating  and  effective  if 
short, 

(C.)  The  Purposes  of  the  Campaign 
The   definite   aims   in   the   autumn   campaign 
should  be: 

First,  to  give  all  church  members  the  religious 
exercises  which  they  need,  at  tasks  suited  to  their 
talents  and  spiritual  attainments,  so  as  to  de- 


36     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

velop  their  spiritual  muscle  and  to  fit  them  for 
more  difficult  tasks,  to  deepen  their  sense  of  the 
real  value  of  the  church  to  themselves  and  to 
the  world,  to  give  a  taste  of  the  joy  of  religious 
service  and  to  prove  that  they  can  be  more  use- 
ful and  happy  in  such  service  than  they  had 
thought,  to  enlarge  their  mutual  acquaintance 
with  and  esteem  for  one  another  and  to  promote 
the  social  unity  of  the  church,  to  reveal  the  inade- 
quacy of  their  present  religious  education  and 
experience,  and  to  increase  their  appetite  for  and 
their  power  to  assimilate  stronger  and  more  nour- 
ishing spiritual  meat. 

Second,  to  convince  the  young  people  and  the 
unchurched  masses  of  the  real  sincerity  and  real 
value  of  the  church,  of  the  breadth  and  pre- 
eminence and  authority  and  virility  and  democ- 
racy of  the  church;  to  awaken  their  interest  in 
eternal  and  infinite  truth,  especially  in  the  teach- 
ings of  Jesus ;  to  give  them  new  and  congenial 
friends,  to  prepare  them  for  the  more  spiritual 
and  devotional  campaign  of  the  winter,  and  for 
definite  enlistment  for  church  membership  and 
for  larger  service  during  the  Lenten  campaign. 

Third,  to  quicken  the  interest  of  the  com- 
munity in  the  things  of  the  Spirit;  to  give  a 
clearer  understanding  of  the  sovereignty  of 
God,  of  the  Lordship  of  Christ  over  all  of  life, 
of  the  broader  aspects  of  Christianity  and  of 
its  far-reaching  social  values,  of  the  number  and 
unity  and  power  of  the  Christians  of  the  com- 


AN  AUTUMN  CAMPAIGN  37 

munity,    of    the    business    sense    and    practical 
brotherliness  of  the  followers  of  Christ. 

Fourth,  to  give  the  church  its  proper  pre-emi- 
nence in  the  thought  and  life  of  the  community 
and  in  the  affections  of  its  members  and  a 
stronger  claim  and  influence  upon  its  children 
by  proving  its  usefulness;  to  enlarge  its  social 
and  financial  and  spiritual  resources  and  to  mul- 
tiply the  number  and  efficiency  of  its  workers, 
to  enlarge  greatly  its  constituencies  in  the  Sab- 
bath-school and  other  societies  and  to  delimit 
other  new  fields  and  opportunities  for  advancing 
the  Kingdom,  to  develop  the  needed  loyalty  and 
vision  and  organization  and  leadership  for  its 
activities  during  the  balance  of  the  year,  gen- 
erating such  enthusiasm  as  will  insure  the  utmost 
efficiency.  Usually  such  enthusiasm  for  the 
church  is  not  attained  before  November  or  Janu- 
ary, save  by  this  method. 

(D.)  Getting  Started 

The  autumn  campaign  must  be  brought  to  its 
climax  by  a  grand  visitation,  which  is  prepared 
for  with  utmost  care,  which  is  made  just  preced- 
ing the  campaign,  usually  on  the  last  Sabbath 
afternoon  of  September.  Enlist  for  it  the  aid  of 
every  member  of  the  congregation  who  is  at  all 
fitted  for  such  work  or  who  could  be  helped  by 
being  coupled  with  a  more  competent  visitor.  A 
team  visits  every  home,  explains  the  plans  of 
the  church  for  the  year,  and  especially  for  the 


38     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

autumn,  gives  a  cordial  and  urgent  invitation  to 
every  service  of  the  church  and  the  Sabbath- 
school,  and  to  membership  in  classes  and  societies 
suited  to  their  needs.  Special  attention  is  given 
to  special  classes — the  disaffected  members,  new 
families,  parents  of  children  v^ho  are  nov^  in  the 
Sabbath  School,  boys  and  girls  who  feel  that  they 
have  outgrown  the  Bible  School,  timid  members, 
those  who  should  become  members  or  active 
workers  in  any  organization  of  the  church,  etc. 

(E.)  Attention  to  Details 

Throughout  the  campaign,  the  Publicity  Com- 
mittee and  the  Visitation  and  Social  and  Mem- 
bership Committees  of  the  districts  and  of  each 
organization  will  be  tireless  in  their  activities. 
Utmost  care  will  be  taken  that  all  strangers  and 
new  members  are  given  hearty  welcomes  and 
handshakes  both  as  they  enter  and  as  they  leave 
each  service,  and  that  they  are  introduced  to 
many  others  of  their  own  ages  and  interests. 
New  addresses  will  be  obtained  at  every  service 
by  the  ushers  and  by  the  use  of  information 
cards,  and  added  to  the  mailing  Hsts.  Each 
service  is  followed  by  a  "  Friendly  Half  Hour  " 
for  social  intercourse.  Kindly  pressure  is 
brought  on  every  one  to  attend  church,  and  to 
enroll  in  and  to  attend  regularly  the  Sunday 
School  and  at  least  one  other  organization.  All 
who  fail  to  attend  are  visited  three  or  four  times 
by  suitable  teams,  usually  of  their  own  ages  and 


AN  AUTUMN  CAMPAIGN  39 

interests,  and  are  stirred  up  by  telephone  calls 
and  postcards. 

The  congregation,  as  well  as  each  district  com- 
mittee and  each  organization  of  the  church  (each 
class,  if  possible),  will  give  a  social  and  enter- 
tainment free  to  all  those  whom  it  wishes  to 
enlist.  All  services  will  be  made  as  attractive  as 
possible  in  every  respect — music,  seating,  en- 
thusiasm, sermons,  etc.  Everything  possible  is 
done  to  emphasize  the  pre-eminence  of  religion 
and  of  the  church,  the  brotherliness  and  Christ- 
likeness  of  the  members,  the  breadth  of  the 
church's  interests,  etc. 

(F.)  Careful  Clinching 

At  the  close  of  the  campaign  a  full  report  is 
printed,  or  read  from  the  pulpit  if  the  church  is 
small,  telling  in  detail  of  the  campaign,  of  the 
number  attending  each  of  the  various  services 
and  departments  during  the  month,  of  the  per 
cent  of  increase  in  attendance  over  the  same  serv- 
ices of  the  preceding  year,  of  the  results  of  the 
competitions  between  the  various  classes  and  de- 
partments and  societies  (and  between  all  the 
churches  if  it  has  been  possible  to  arrange  for  a 
simultaneous  city-wide  campaign),  as  to  the 
average  attendance,  as  to  the  per  cent  of  attend- 
ance by  members,  as  to  the  per  cent  of  new  mem- 
bers added  during  the  month,  and  as  to  the  gain 
in  each  respect  over  the  same  records  in  former 
years. 


40     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

In  addition  to  giving  honors  to  such  organ- 
izations as  make  the  best  records  in  each  respect, 
suitable  recognition  should  be  given  to  all  indi- 
viduals who  attain  to  certain  standards.  For 
example,  one  church  offered  a  white  ribbon  for 
attendance  upon  at  least  one  preaching  service 
each  Sabbath,  a  blue  ribbon  for  regular  and 
prompt  attendance  at  Sabbath  School,  a  red  rib- 
bon for  the  devotion  of  at  least  two  hours  each 
week  to  visitation  or  other  church  work  (attend- 
ance not  counted  as  work),  and  a  red-white-and- 
blue  rosette  to  those  who  qualified  in  all  three 
respects. 

At  the  close  of  the  attendance  and  membership 
competition  there  should  be  a  "  New  Members' 
Recognition  Sabbath."  In  addition  to  reports 
and  recognitions  as  suggested  above,  a  full 
printed  list  is  distributed  of  all  classes  and  or- 
ganizations, with  all  their  members.  The  new 
names  added  to  each  department  and  class  are 
printed  in  itahcs,  while  the  names  of  old  mem- 
bers, who  deserve  special  recognition  because  of 
attendance  and  efforts,  are  checked  with  one  or 
more  stars.  At  the  public  service  the  secretary 
of  each  class  and  organization  rises  and  reads 
the  names  of  the  newly  enrolled  members  thereof, 
who  rise  in  a  body  and  receive  a  salute  from 
the  congregation.  Thus  each  class  is  led  to  at- 
tend church  in  a  body,  each  new  member  re- 
ceives a  public  welcome  from  the  church,  while 
all  organizations   and  individuals  are  made  to 


AN  AUTUMN  CAMPAIGN  41 

realize  the  supremacy  of  the  church  as  well  as  the 
importance  to  the  church  of  each  department  and 
class  and  individual. 

Special  souvenirs  may  be  given  to  the  new 
members  who,  during  the  following  month,  are 
honored  by  the  organizations  in  which  they  have 
enrolled  with  special  receptions,  etc.,  where  they 
receive  definite  instruction  as  to  the  meaning  of, 
and  the  duties  involved  in,  membership  in  these 
societies.  It  is  better  for  such  as  have  no  real 
stability  to  be  weeded  out  now  than  to  burden 
the  records  with  their  names  and  cause  depres- 
sion by  erasing  them  later. 

Many  new  members  will  usually  be  received 
into  the  church  at  this  time.  But  in  the  heat  of 
such  a  campaign  many  can  easily  be  induced  to 
"  join  "  who  have  gained  no  adequate  conception 
of  the  duties  involved — to  whom  church  mem- 
bership means  nothing  more  as  to  faith  and  as 
to  responsibility  for  attendance  and  life  than 
membership  in  a  lodge  or  club,  and  who  should 
rather  be  enrolled  in  special  instruction  classes, 
where  they  will  be  given  full  insight  into  the 
fundamentals  of  Christianity  during  the  winter. 
They  will  thus  become  more  valuable  and  re- 
liable as  members  when  they  are  enrolled  during 
the  March  campaign. 

But  a  permanent  and  stable  gain  of  from  20 
to  200  per  cent  should  be  made  in  the  mem- 
bership of  and  attendance  at  each  organization 
during  such  an  October  campaign  if  proper  care 


42     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

is  taken  to  add  efficiency  to  enthusiasm.  Many- 
additional  prospects  will  be  found  who  can  be 
intelligently  cultivated  during  the  remaining 
months  of  the  year  by  the  church  and  its  de- 
partments, by  sermons  and  literature  and  all 
kinds  of  activity. 


IV 


EFFICIENT  PREPARATION  FOR  A 
CAMPAIGN 

THE  first  visitation  should  be  most  care- 
fully planned  for,  utilizing  all  the  visita- 
tion experience  of  churches  which  have 
had  the  best  success.  We  have  suggested  that 
the  visitation  be  made  in  September  and  that 
every  effort  be  made  for  a  record-breaking  at- 
tendance at  every  service  on  the  first  Sabbath 
of  October.  Whether  October  or  a  later  month 
is  set  apart  for  the  Attendance  Campaign,  public 
preparation  should  begin  about  three  weeks  in 
advance. 

(A.)  An  Ideal  Schedule 

The  preparation  plans  adopted  in  June  by  the 
officers  of  a  Pennsylvania  church  of  1,200  active 
members,  after  conference  with  the  writer,  were 
as  follows ;  they  should  be  studied  most  care- 
fully: 

Sunday,  September  12:  Sermon  ("  Making  Re- 
ligion First"),  with  the  first  public  intima- 
tion of  a  special  campaign.  All  are  urged  to 
come  to  the  mid-week  service,  where  the 
matter  will  be  more  fully  presented. 
43 


44     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Monday : 

(a)  Special  letter  will  be  mailed  to  500  per- 
sons, urging  attendance  Wednesday  evening. 

(b)  Supper  conference  of  all  officers  of  the 
church  and  of  all  its  departments  will  be 
held  for  final  discussion  of  the  general  pro- 
gram for  the  year,  and  for  the  autumn,  as 
presented  by  the  special  committees ;  for  the 
final  revision  of  districts  and  district  com- 
mittees, and  of  plans  for  follow-up  work  by 
the  societies. 

Wednesday :  Pastor  and  others  present  and  ex- 
plain at  the  mid-week  service : 

(a)  General  program  for  the  year. 

(b)  The  outline  of  the  attendance  and  mem- 
bership campaign  to  continue  from  October 
until  December. 

(c)  Detailed  plans  for  the  visitation  on  Sep- 
tember 26. 

Sunday,  September  ig:  Sermon  ("  The  Efficient 
Modern  Church"),  with  special  reference 
to  the  program  for  the  year,  and  for  the 
autumn,  with  an  appeal  for  volunteer  vis- 
itors in  addition  to  those  who  have  already 
received  letters. 

The  first  issue  of  an  enlarged  bulletin  distrib- 
uted (see  Publicity),  with  names  of  com- 
mittees, district  boundaries,  and  general 
plans. 

Monday:  A  conference  is  held  of  all  chairmen 
and  committees,  district  and  departmental, 
followed  by  separate  meeting  of  each  com- 
mittee to  perfect  its  plans. 


PREPARATION  FOR  A  CAMPAIGN     45 

Wednesday:    Mid-week  meeting  devoted  to 

(a)  Discussion  of  details  and  answers  to 
questions. 

(b)  Special  prayer  for  the  visitation  and  for 
the  entire  campaign. 

(c)  Followed  by  special  meetings  of  district 
committees  to  group  visitors  into  suitable 
teams  and  to  perfect  their  plans. 

Thursday:  General  letter  as  to  the  year's  pro- 
gram, and  the  visitation  is  sent  to  all  who 
are  to  be  visited,  asking  them  to  remain  at 
home  on  Sunday  p.m.  until  visitors  arrive. 

Friday :  Meeting  in  each  district,  in  some  home, 
of  all  visitors  in  that  district,  for  assignment 
of  homes  to  be  visited  by  each  team,  for 
further  instructions,  etc.  ( See  "  Instruc- 
tions to  Visitors,"  in  Appendix.) 

Sunday,  September  26: 

(a)  Preliminary  Rally  Day  for  all  old  mem- 
bers of  church  and  Sunday  School. 

(b)  Brief  addresses  in  all  the  departments, 
and  in  church  services,  by  pastor  and  others, 
as  to  the  campaign  and  what  it  is  expected 
to  accomplish. 

(c)  Distribution  of  second  issue  of  enlarged 
calendar  boosting  the  church  and  announc- 
ing the  general  program,  names  of  visitors 
in  each  district,  etc.     (See  Appendix.) 

(d)  At  close  of  service  the  visitors  are  re- 
quested to  rise  as  their  names  are  read  by 
their  district  chairmen,  to  stand  during  a 
final  solemn  charge  as  to  their  responsibility 
and  opportunity,  followed  by  a  prayer  for 
the  work  and  the  workers. 


46     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

In  the  Afternoon: 

(a)  At  2.00  (or  2.30)  p.m.  visitors  begin  their 
work. 

(b)  At  12.30  P.M.  (if  possible)  an  old-fash- 
ioned basket  or  lap  luncheon  at  the  church 
for  those  who  can  remain,  to  save  time  and 
strength,  to  give  further  instruction  to  those 
not  at  preceding  meetings,  for  prayers,  etc. 

(c)  At  2.00  P.M.  (if  luncheon  is  not  feasible) 
have  visitors  gather  at  central  points  in  their 
respective  districts  for  a  few  moments  of 
prayer,  and  arrange  for  reports  to  their  dis- 
trict captain  before  7.00  p.m.  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  calls  made  and  specific  results. 

In  the  Evening:  A  specially  attractive  service 
of  prayer  and  song,  which  is  specially  ad- 
vertised by  the  visitors,  at  which  special 
speakers  will  make  reports  of  their  after- 
noon's work  and  stirring  addresses  on  the 
possibilities  through  the  plans  for  the  au- 
tumn and  for  the  year. 

Monday  and  Tuesday :  Special  effort  is  made 
to  complete  the  visitation,  where  families 
were  absent  on  the  Sabbath,  or  where  visi- 
tors were  not  able  to  complete  their  rounds. 

Wednesday  Evening: 

(a)  A  report  or  testimony  meeting. 

(b)  Preceded  by  a  supper  for  the  visitors  (or 
at  least  for  the  visitation  leaders),  to  com- 
plete their  reports  and  to  agree  on  recom- 
mendations at  the  prayer-meeting  hour. 

(c)  After  this  meeting  each  district  commit- 
tee meets  as  soon  as  possible  to  complete 
plans    for    follow-up    and    for    perman 
organization  for  weekly  visitation  work. 


PREPARATION  FOR  A  CAMPAIGN     47 

Friday : 

(a)  Ushers  meet  with  Church  Social  Com- 
mittee to  complete  plans  for  the  heartiest 
possible  welcome  at  October  Sabbath  serv- 
ices. 

(b)  Departmental  and  Class  Committees  con- 
fer finally,  so  that  everything  may  be  done 
for  the  welcome  and  enlistment  of  every 
person  by  some  class  and  organization,  and 
to  co-ordinate  their  plans  for  socials,  visita- 
tions, publicity,  competitions,  and  other 
activities  during  the  campaign. 

Sabbath,  October  j;  The  Special  Attendance 
and  Membership  Campaign  begins,  with  spe- 
cial services  and  activities  by  the  church 
and  by  every  class  and  organization. 

(B.)  Other  Essential  Steps  in  Preparation 
FOR  A  Campaign 

In  Chapter  III  (A.)  the  essential  preparatory 
steps  are  mentioned.  Some  of  them  demand 
further  discussion. 

(a)  Three  Hsts  of  the  families  to  be  visited 
should  be  prepared.  First,  a  complete  card 
index,  a  4  x  6-inch  card  for  each  family ;  with 
space  for  the  address  at  the  top,  with  the  name 
of  each  member  of  the  family  and  a  concise 
history  of  their  past  and  present  relationships  to 
the  church,  and  for  notes  as  to  future  pos- 
sibilities. (For  sample  card,  see  Appendix.)  Sec- 
ond, duplicate  cards  for  the  visitors,  that  they 
may  make  intelligent  notes  of  additional  facts. 


48     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Third,  an  addressograph  list,  so  that  printed 
matter  may  be  mailed  each  week,  or  at  frequent 
intervals,  during  the  year,  with  utmost  economy 
of  time.  Of  course,  matter  can  be  addressed  by 
hand  if  no  addressograph  is  available.  The 
Sunday  School  may  have  its  own  card  index. 

(b)  Definite  goals  should  be  formulated  for 
the  church  and  for  each  department  and  class, 
setting  forth  the  aims  as  to  average  attendance, 
number  of  calls,  number  of  new  members,  etc., 
both  for  the  fall  campaign  and  for  the  year. 
Set  high  aims.  From  lOO  to  500  per  cent  ad- 
vance is  feasible  for  many  classes  and  organ- 
izations. Almost  every  church  and  Sabbath 
School  can  advance  from  25  to  50  per  cent  in 
attendance  and  membership.  High  goals  will 
be  a  permanent  stimulus,  if  not  attained  this 
year. 

(c)  The  church  should  be  made  as  attractive 
as  possible,  both  inside  and  outside,  by  paint, 
carpets,  seasonable  decorations,  etc.  The  social 
and  educational  equipment  should  be  brought  up 
to  date,  to  compare  favorably  with  lodge  and 
school  rooms. 

(d)  Make  diligent  effort  to  secure  interde- 
nominational action.  This  will  benefit  your 
church  at  every  point,  and  will  be  a  godsend  to 
other  churches.     (See  Chapter  VH.) 

(e)  Secure  a  liberal  expense  budget.  A  con- 
structive program  will  increase  results  without 
additional  expenditure,  yet,  for  the  sake  of  more 


PREPARATION  FOR  A  CAMPAIGN     49 

efficiency  in  publicity,  etc.,  a  considerable  sum 
should  be  provided  from  one  or  more  of  these 
churches:  (i)  the  regular  church  budget  for  the 
year,  (2)  special  contributions  by  one  or  several 
individuals,  (3)  special  collections  during  the 
campaign,  (4)  borrowing  the  money  and  paying 
it  back  out  of  the  larger  income  next  year.  The 
nev^  members  and  the  new  enthusiasm  will 
largely  increase  the  number  and  the  amount  of 
the  pledges  during  the  following  year,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  larger  loose  offerings  during  the 
campaign  or  of  the  new  and  enlarged  subscrip- 
tions which  can  be  secured  for  the  balance  of  the 
current  year  by  aggressive  action  in  November. 
Investments  here  will  yield  large  dividends. 

(f)  Appoint  a  strong  publicity  committee  to 
begin  work  aggressively  by  September  15.  (See 
Chapter  VIII.)  Much  free  publicity  and  free 
printing  can  be  secured,  but  spend  money  freely 
but  wisely. 

(g)  Permanent  district  committees  must  be 
organized  most  carefully.  (See  Chapter  V, 
[D.].) 

(h)  Workers  must  be  carefully  trained.  The 
"  Visitation  and  Membership "  committee  and 
the  district  chairmen  should  meet  frequently,  to 
talk  and  pray  over  the  matter  until  their  visions 
are  greatly  enlarged.  The  co-operating  commit- 
tee of  each  department  should  meet  with  them, 
and  should  prepare  diligently  to  support  the  gen- 
eral program  and  visitation  work,  and  to  con- 


50     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

serve  the  utmost  of  results  for  the  church 
through  their  own  societies. 

The  visitors  should  be  brought  together  for  at 
least  two  training  conferences,  where  enthusiasm 
may  be  imparted,  each  point  may  be  fully  dis- 
cussed, and  all  questions  may  be  answered. 
(See  Appendix  for  a  sample  letter  of  instruc- 
tions to  visitors  such  as  should  be  the  text  of 
these  conferences.)  The  "Purposes"  (Chapter 
III  [C.])  should  also  be  studied.  Outside 
speakers  will  often  bring  large  inspiration  to  the 
visitors.  Do  not  try  to  teach  the  visitors  too 
much  at  any  one  visitation,  but  teach  thoroughly 
whatever  is  taught. 

(i)  Assign  visitors  carefully — the  tactless  with 
the  tactful,  the  inexperienced  with  the  experi- 
enced. Those  who  are  ineffective  should  be  sent 
to  call  on  one  or  two  shut-ins  or  aged  saints,  who 
will  do  them  good  instead. 

(j)  A  strong  Social  Commission  should  be 
appointed  representing  each  department  of  the 
church,  to  formulate  a  program  of  sociability, 
to  arrange  one  or  more  free  entertainments  and 
socials  for  all  members  of  the  church  and 
friends,  to  promote  sociability  in  every  way  for 
every  age  and  class;  to  see  that  adequate  social 
committees  are  appointed  by  each  department  and 
to  help  such  committees,  especially  those  of  less 
mature  years,  to  arrange  and  carry  out  plans 
adapted  to  their  societies  and  in  harmony  with 
the  social  program  of  the  church,  to  arrange  for 


PREPARATION  FOR  A  CAMPAIGN     51 

the  proper  equipment  of  a  parish-house,  with 
kitchen,  games,  social  rooms,  baths,  etc.;  to  ar- 
range for  those  who  have  large  homes  to  open 
them  for  the  social  Hfe  of  classes  and  organiza- 
tions, to  arrange  schedules  so  that  parish-house 
equipment  may  be  used  most  satisfactorily.  It 
will  continue  its  activity  in  behalf  of  all  interests, 
throughout  the  year  and  perennially. 

(k)  Letters  will  be  sent  to  all  those  to  be  vis- 
ited (unless  the  movement  is  city-wide)  an- 
nouncing the  "  Cordial  Social  Visitation." 

(1)  A  social  and  religious  survey  or  census  of 
the  community  will  help  very  greatly  in  preparing 
the  way  for  any  visitation  or  other  campaign.  It 
will  help  each  church  to  secure  that  much  needed 
"  Constituency  Roll "  of  families  and  individuals 
for  whose  religious  welfare  it  is  responsible,  giv- 
ing it  a  sobering  sense  of  its  duty  and  opportunity. 


V 

SOME  VITAL  QUESTIONS  ANSWERED 

(A.)  Shall  We  Introduce  the  Full 
Program  the  First  Year? 

DO  not  try  too  many  new  ideas  at  once, 
lest  you  bewilder  and  dishearten  many 
and  absorb  too  much  energy  in  making 
adjustments,  leaving  none  for  securing  results. 
The  number  of  new  ideas  and  plans  which  can 
be  introduced  at  once  will  depend  upon  the  in- 
telligence and  loyalty  of  the  leaders  of  the 
church,  on  the  harmony  and  enthusiasm  of  the 
people,  on  the  experience  and  resourcefulness  of 
the  pastor,  on  the  responsiveness  of  the  com- 
munity to  new  ideas,  and  on  the  adequacy  of  the 
existing  organization  and  equipment.  Three  or 
five  years  may  be  necessary  to  introduce  the  full 
program.  The  first  year  take  only  those  steps 
which  the  best  leaders  can  be  induced  to  support 
heartily. 

The  net  gains  may  be  greatly  increased,  pos- 
sibly 50  per  cent,  by  securing  the  aid  of  an  ex- 
pert in  presenting  the  matter,  in  securing  moral 
and  financial  support  for  the  new  program,  in 


SOME  VITAL  QUESTIONS  53 

organizing  the  forces  and  launching  the  cam- 
paign. 

You  may  begin  any  time  in  the  year  to  put 
what  you  can  into  practice  and  to  get  ready  most 
fully  for  the  next  year. 

Is  not  this  program  too  complex?  On  the 
contrary,  it  is  the  simplest  kind  of  program.  It 
must  be  adapted  as  well  as  adopted,  but  when 
carefully  modified  to  suit  local  conditions  and 
problems  it  will  almost  work  itself  after  the  first 
year  or  two.  The  same  objection  was  formerly 
made  to  the  duplex-envelope  and  every-member- 
canvass  system  by  those  who  were  so  confused 
by  the  complex  traditional  finance  methods  that 
they  could  not  appreciate  the  simplicity  of  the 
new  until  they  had  actually  tried  it,  or  it  had  been 
introduced  by  most  of  their  neighbors. 

(B.)  How  Shall  the  Work  Be  Organized? 

All  of  the  church  committees,  both  district 
and  general,  should  be  organized  on  a  business- 
like basis,  even  if  some  reorganization  of  the 
church  as  a  whole  is  required.  (See  Chap- 
ter IX  [C.].)  The  essential  elements  here 
are: 

(a)  A  church  "Visitation  and  Membership" 
committee  or  commission,  constituted  of  an 
executive  committee  (which  will  consist  of  the 
district  chairmen  and  the  chairmen  of  the  perma- 
nent educational,  social,  social  service,  mission- 
ary, devotional,  publicity,  and  finance  commis- 


54    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

sions  of  the  church,  with  the  pastor  and 
Sunday-school  superintendent),  with  one  addi- 
tional representative  from  the  "  Visitation  and 
Membership  "  committee  of  each  department  of 
the  Sunday  School  and  of  each  other  church  or- 
ganization. 

(b)  District  committees,  consisting  of  all  the 
possible  workers  of  every  age  living  within  their 
territory;  the  district  executive  committee  in 
each  district  consisting  of  the  chairman  and  two 
or  three  vice-chairmen,  with  a  representative  of 
each  of  the  departments  named  under  (c). 

(c)  A  *'  Membership  and  Visitation "  com- 
mittee should  be  appointed  by  each  department  of 
the  Sabbath  School,  each  Young  People's  Society, 
each  organized  class,  etc.,  consisting  either  of 
the  organization's  cabinet  or  of  its  representa- 
tives on  district  committees,  or  of  a  special  com- 
mittee with  one  member  each  from  its  social, 
devotional,  finance,  missionary,  publicity,  and 
social-service  committees. 

(C.)  How  Many  Districts? 

A  church  of  500  members  would  ordinarily  be 
divided  into  from  four  to  six  districts.  The 
smallest  church  should  have  at  least  two  or  three 
districts,  for  the  sake  of  competition.  A  church 
of  2,000  members  might  be  divided  into  ten  or 
fifteen  districts,  or  into  a  smaller  number 
of  districts,  with  such  sub-districts  as  are 
needed. 


SOME  VITAL  QUESTIONS  55 

(D.)  How  Make  the  District  Organization 
AND  Visitation  Work  Permanent? 

The  September  visitation  should  be  but  the 
beginning  of  such  activity.  Showing  how  any- 
one can  visit,  giving  folks  a  taste,  and  getting 
them  into  the  swing  of  it,  the  way  is  opened  for 
large  permanent  activities.  Three  times  each 
year  a  similar  evangelistic  Sunday-afternoon  vis- 
itation should  be  made,  and  the  momentum  thus 
developed  will  carry  regular  visitation  work  on 
a  high  tide  through  the  intervening  periods. 

Permanent  district  committees  are  absolutely 
essential,  not  only  to  follow  up  the  September 
visitation  and  to  enlarge  and  clinch  the  results 
of  the  October  campaign,  but  to  undertake  the 
permanent  pastoral  oversight  of  the  new  mem- 
bers, the  sick,  the  indifferent,  the  young  people, 
and  of  all  the  interests  of  the  church,  in  their 
districts.  Such  committees  have  failed  in  the 
past,  but  they  will  not  fail  after  the  stimulus  of 
a  church-wide  visitation,  if  properly  organized 
and  operated  along  the  lines  herein  suggested. 

The  district  executive  committees  must  be 
chosen  for  popularity  and  tact,  as  well  as  for 
spirituality  and  diligence.  A  vice-chairman 
should  be  appointed  to  supplement  the  weak 
points  of  the  chairman,  to  prod  him  when  neces- 
sary, and  to  serve  efficiently  in  his  absence.  As 
on  every  other  church  committee,  one  or  two 
women  and  one  or  two  young  people  should  be 


56     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

appointed  who  will  prod  the  men  and  help  them, 
to  see  that  everything  is  thoroughly  done  and 
done  on  time — a  sure  cure  for  inefficiency. 

Each  district  committee,  or  its  executive  com- 
mittee, should  meet  regularly.  Frequently  dis- 
trict committees  all  meet  at  homes  on  the  same 
evening,  and  then  meet  together  at  the  church 
to  compare  notes.  Or  all  committees  or  chair- 
men can  meet  with  the  pastor  at  the  church  be- 
fore or  after  prayer  meeting.  Or  committees 
can  meet  separately  at  the  close  of  prayer  meet- 
ing. One  pastor  had  four  district  committees, 
meeting  one  each  week  after  prayer  meeting  to 
hear  reports  as  to  visits  made  and  other  work 
and  for  assignment  of  work  through  the  chair- 
man. Ten  minutes  used  for  reports  from  dis- 
trict committees  at  the  opening  of  each  mid- 
week meeting  would  be  most  stimulating,  and 
would  give  definiteness  to  the  prayers. 

Each  district  committee,  with  the  help  of  its 
representatives  from  the  various  organizations, 
will  plan  to  use  every  individual  in  the  district, 
from  the  eight-year-old  boy  who  carries  messages 
to  the  oldest  inhabitant.  Frequently  workers  are 
assigned  to  districts  outside  of  which  they  live, 
in  which  their  societies  would  not  otherwise  be 
adequately  represented. 

The  district  committees  organize  community 
Bible  classes  and  prayer  meetings  when  feasible, 
and  hold  district  or  community  socials.  They 
should  keep  complete  records  of  the  attendance 


SOME  VITAL  QUESTIONS  57 

at  church  services  and  other  meetings  of  all  from 
their  district,  even  of  non-members,  reporting 
quarterly  to  the  pastor.  They  may  keep  the  rec- 
ords also  of  communion  attendance. 

(E.)  How  Enlist  Visitors  and  Workers? 

Contrary  to  tradition,  plenty  of  people  can 
easily  be  secured  to  help  in  the  visitations.  If 
properly  presented,  it  is  far  easier  to  enlist  folks 
for  this  than  for  any  other  form  of  church  work. 

"  You  cannot  get  a  dozen  folks  to  serve  as 
visitors,"  said  a  millionaire  officer  of  a  city 
church,  when  I  met  his  board  for  conference. 
He  continued :  "  Our  folks  do  not  do  work.  We 
men  have  not  made  a  dozen  calls  in  the  name  of 
the  church  during  the  past  ten  years,  except  for 
money.  Scarcely  half  a  dozen  men  will  help  in 
our  financial  canvass,  which  must  be  made. 
How  then  can  you  secure  visitors  for  ever  so 
good  a  cause  which  is  less  urgent  ?  "  I  asked 
him  if  such  a  visitation  was  worth  while,  and  if 
he  would  help  if  we  could  enlist  50  of  the  500 
members.  He  agreed.  By  following  the  method 
which  I  outlined  we  actually  secured  over  100 
visitors,  who  made  400  calls  in  one  afternoon. 
Sometimes  50  per  cent  of  the  members  can  be 
enlisted. 

Do  not  depend  on  volunteers.  Make  a  list  of 
all  who  should  help,  and  expect  to  get  them. 
About  two  weeks  before  the  visitation,  present 
in  a  sermon   the   work  the   church   should   be 


58     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

doing,  how  it  has  been  relegating  some  of  its 
social  duties  to  clubs  and  lodges,  how  ''  this 
church  has  determined  on  a  more  aggressive  and 
Christian  policy  for  the  coming  year,  to  promote 
fellowship  among  the  members,  to  interest  new 
folks  in  the  church,"  etc.  Announce  that  this 
big  advance  movement  will  be  presented  in  de- 
tail at  the  mid-week  service  by  the  officers,  and 
urge  everyone  to  come. 

On  Monday  send  to  each  one  a  personal  letter, 
such  as  this: 

Dear  Brother: 

As  was  announced  on  Sabbath,  the  pastor  and 
officers  have  outlined  for  the  church  a  new  and 
businesslike  program  of  great  importance.  You 
have  been  appointed  on  one  of  the  committees, 
of  which  Mr.  is  chairman.  It  is  essen- 
tial that  every  committee  member  be  present  on 
Wednesday  evening  to  hear  the  matter  fully  ex- 
plained. Your  committee  will  be  organized  at 
the  close  of  the  service.    You  are  an  important 

MEMBER.        We     count     ON     YOU.         No    MONEY 

ASKED.  Come  at  7.45,  if  possible.  If  you  are 
late,  come  anyway. 

(Signed  by  the  Pastor  and  Executive  Com- 
mittee.) 

Supplement  the  letter  with  telephone  calls  by 
the  pastor  and  district  chairman,  but  do  not  say 
that  any  visitation  work  is  expected.  On 
Wednesday  evening  explain  the  importance  of 
the  social  and  publicity  campaign  and  its  sim- 
plicity; emphasize  the  absolute  necessity  of  the 


SOME  VITAL  QUESTIONS  59 

visitation,  of  doing  it  all  in  one  day,  and  of  hav- 
ing the  help  of  everyone.  Emphasize  "  only 
three  hours,"  "only  six  to  twelve  calls,"  "the 
printed  folder  to  be  left  at  each  home  explains 
the  matter  fully,  so  that  much  talking  is  not 
necessary  " ;  "  each  visitor  can  choose  his  team- 
mate and  the  homes  he  will  visit,"  "  on  Sunday 
it  will  not  interfere  with  your  business,"  "  we 

expect  to  add  per  cent  to  membership  and 

attendance  in  the  church  and  in  such  and  such 
societies,"  etc. 

If  needed  work  is  still  refused,  follow  up  with 
kindly  personal  calls,  urge  one's  example  to 
others,  and  "  Can  you  not  give  the  church  your 
perspiration  and  shoe  leather  for  a  single  after- 
noon? Go  out  and  invite  your  friends  or  stran- 
gers to  this  grand  October  rally." 

Usually  no  trouble  is  experienced.  These  sug- 
gestions will  be  needed  only  in  exceptional  cases. 

If  your  folk  have  never  done  any  visiting  or 
other  church  work,  so  much  the  more  need  of 
enlisting  them  now.  Many  a  religious  dyspeptic 
and  critic  has  been  so  benefited  by  the  religious 
exercise  of  one  afternoon's  visitation  as  to  forget 
his  complaint  and  to  have  a  better  appetite  for 
the  sermons  and  Bible  classes  to  which  he  had 
been  indifferent. 

Says  one  pastor :  "  I  could  not  get  my  people 
to  do  any  visiting;  few  of  them  would  do  any 
church  work.  Our  church-wide  visitation  was 
our  first  big  success,  and  broke  down  the  preju- 


60     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

dice  against  church  work.  Its  bigness,  as  well 
as  its  simplicity,  appealed  to  all.  Being  on  Sun- 
day, they  could  not  refuse  three  hours'  time. 
Being  heartily  welcomed  everywhere,  all  were 
glad  they  worked,  and  were  easily  pledged  to 
help  in  regular  visitation.  Trying  to  enthuse 
others,  they  enthused  themselves." 

This  is  the  simplest  and  most  stimulating  sort 
of  church  work  for  a  beginner.  By  the  time  one 
has  boosted  religion  and  his  church  to  several 
other  people,  he  thinks  more  of  it  himself  and 
becomes  anxious  to  benefit  by  the  good  things 
he  has  been  talking  about.  He  is  led  to  feel  that 
he  is  a  vital  part  of  the  church,  and  says  "  Our 
church  "  instead  of  ''  Their  church." 

At  the  close  of  the  visitation  a  free  social  or 
supper  for  the  visitors  and  committees,  for  testi- 
mony, will  be  found  most  valuable  for  perpetuat- 
ing their  enthusiasm  and  for  crystallizing  their 
willingness  to  work. 

At  the  mid-week  service,  after  the  visitation, 
each  district  chairman  should  report  the  number 
of  visits  made  in  his  district,  the  number  of  new 
families  discovered,  the  number  of  members  en- 
listed for  the  church,  the  boy  scouts,  the  men's 
classes,  the  women's  society,  etc. 


VI 

THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN 

THE  follow-up  work  will  be  in  three  inter- 
ests— first,  of  the  church  as  a  whole ;  sec- 
ond, of  the  Sunday  School;  third,  of  the 
other  societies.  It  will  be  as  varied  as  the  inter- 
ests of  all  these  departments.  Each  organization 
will  attend  largely  to  its  own  interests  under  the 
supervision  of  the  general  church  committee,  co- 
operating with  the  district  committee.  It  will 
include  visitation,  literature,  postcards  and  let- 
ters, telephone  calls,  bulletins  of  progress  in  the 
papers  and  the  church  magazine,  etc.  These 
have  been  largely  discussed  in  Chapter  HI  and 
elsewhere. 

Each  society  should  make  a  complete  "  Con- 
stituency Roll "  of  all  its  possible  members  and 
follow  each  one  up  most  persistently  and  tactfully 
until  they  join,  having  the  full  co-operation  of  the 
various  district  committees. 

The  visitation  aim  in  September  is  to  visit  all 
homes  on  one  day.  In  October  the  plan  is  to 
visit,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  wherever  re- 
peats are  needed.  In  one  case  fourteen  teams 
visited  a  single  new  family  during  one  month — 
two  teams  visited  the  father,  the  mother  was  wel- 
61 


62     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

corned  by  teams  from  the  organized  women's 
class,  the  home  department,  and  the  women's  so- 
ciety. Several  similar  visits  were  made  on  each 
of  the  young  people  and  children.  Boys  and  girls 
greatly  appreciate  calls  from  older  men  and 
women,  whom  they  respect.  A  personal  visit 
to  each  individual  is  far  more  effective  than  a 
single  visit  upon  a  whole  family. 

The  October  sermon  subjects  of  one  pastor 
were: 

(a)  "  The  Pre-eminence  of  Religion  in  Life 
and  in  the  World  " — enlarging  upon  the  past 
1,900  years  of  moral,  social,  political,  intellectual, 
economic,  scientific,  and  spiritual  advances  due 
to  Christianity. 

(b)  "  What  Christianity  Can  Yet  Do  for  the 
World  " — text :  "  Thy  Kingdom  come ;  as  in 
heaven  so  on  earth." 

(c)  '*  The  Pre-eminence  of  the  Church  " — not 
as  a  sect,  but  as  a  divinely  instituted  organism 
for  the  redemption  of  individuals  and  the  leaven- 
ing of  society. 

(d)  "Why  Join  the  Church  and  Its  Or- 
ganizations ? " — ^you  need  them,  and  they  need 
you. 

November  and  December  Activities 

In  Chapter  III,  (E)  and  (F),  we  have  already 
given  many  important  suggestions. 

Every  effort  is  made  to  assimilate  those  who 
have  been  newly  enrolled,  to  bind  them  perma- 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       63 

nently  to  the  church  and  its  interests  and  ideals 
before  Christmas;  also  to  follow  up  the  un- 
clinched  "prospects"  with  socials,  musical  and 
literary  programs,  repeated  visits,  brotherliness 
and  kindliness,  economic  and  social  services. 
Careful  thought  should  be  given  to  the  social  and 
intellectual  and  athletic  tastes  and  to  the  spiritual 
and  moral  needs  of  each  individual,  both  by  the 
church  as  a  whole  and  by  the  members  of  such 
organizations  as  they  have  joined  or  may 
join. 

The  autumn  sermons  should  contribute  con- 
structively to  an  education  in  Christian  character 
and  doctrines  and  social  principles.  As  Jesus 
began  His  revelations  with  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  and  gradually  prepared  the  way  for  those 
higher  spiritual  truths  which  He  unfolded  during 
the  last  months  of  His  life,  so  each  pastor  might 
well  devote  his  autumn  sermons  primarily  to  the 
history  of  Christianity  and  to  its  social  and 
moral  phases,  the  home,  the  school,  the  state, 
economic  principles,  etc.,  advancing  after  Christ- 
mas to  the  more  doctrinal  and  devotional  sub- 
jects. 

In  addition  to  special  activities  already  re- 
ferred to: 

(a)  Decision  day  should  be  observed  in  the 
Sabbath  School  and  the  children  enlisted  until 
Easter  in  classes  for  training  for  membership. 

(b)  Effort  should  be  made  to  enlist  every 
member  for  some  sort  of  service — leadership  of 


64     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

"  scout  "  and  "  campfire  "  organizations,  teaching 
classes,  teacher  training,  and  other  social,  educa- 
tional, and  committee  activities. 

(c)  Home  and  foreign  missions,  moral  and 
social  reforms,  Christian  citizenship  ideals,  char- 
acter building,  etc.,  should  be  emphasized  in 
every  department. 

(d)  A  new  type  of  Christmas  celebration 
should  be  promoted. 

(e)  Plans  for  the  mid-winter  campaign  should 
be  perfected. 

(f )  A  "  Home  Coming  "  day,  a  '*  Church  Roll 
Call  Day,"  A  "  Win-My-Chum  "  day  and  other 
special  features  can  be  used  if  desired. 

The  Mid-winter  Campaign 

The  second  clearly  marked  campaign  of  the 
year  begins  about  Christmas.  We  take  for 
granted  that  the  autumn  campaign  has  been  prop- 
erly carried  through,  has  enlisted  many  new  mem- 
bers in  all  departments,  and  has  developed  many 
"  prospects  "  for  church  membership  and  church 
leadership.  Their  loyalty  to  the  church  is  now 
assured,  they  feel  perfectly  at  home,  and  are 
familiar  with  the  social  and  moral  ideals  of 
Christ. 

The  next  step  is  to  give  them  a  thorough  train- 
ing in  the  more  fundamental  spiritual  truths,  to 
lead  from  the  simple  to  the  complex,  to  make  re- 
ligion real,  to  bring  them  into  vital  touch  with  a 
God  who  is  near  at  hand,  to  help  them  to  the 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       65 

higher  planes  of  Christian  life  and  experience. 
These  phases  of  church  responsibility  have 
been  wofully  neglected.  The  Christmas  and 
New  Year's  ideals  lend  themselves  to  these 
ends. 

Classes  should  be  organized  for  the  study  of 
missions,  of  church  history,  of  the  social  teach- 
ings of  Jesus,  of  present-day  problems,  of 
methods  of  church  work,  of  personal  evangelism, 
of  fundamental  doctrines,  etc.  Weekday  classes 
after  school  for  the  children  and  young  people 
of  each  grade  should  be  organized,  with  the 
pastor  as  teacher,  and  he  should  be  relieved  as 
far  as  possible  of  all  visitation  and  routine  work 
by  the  various  committees.  The  sermons  and 
prayer  meetings  will  be  devoted  to  educational 
subjects.  A  definite  effort  is  made  to  enlist  all 
members  of  the  congregation  in  weekday  study 
classes  suited  to  their  needs,  in  addition  to  their 
Sabbath-school  work.  Of  course,  some  of  these 
classes,  as  the  weekday  Bible  class  for  women 
and  the  catechetical  and  mission  study  courses, 
will  have  begun  in  October. 

Special  Bible  classes  may  be  organized  for 
women  only,  for  men  only,  for  working  girls, 
for  professional  classes,  for  young  married  cou- 
ples, for  the  choir,  in  factories,  in  downtown  of- 
fices, etc.  A  large  Bible  Class  was  organized  in 
the  state  legislature  in  Pennsylvania,  and  one  in 
the  government  prison  at  Atlanta. 

District  prayer  meetings  should  be  organized 


66     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

and  prayer  groups  developed  among  these 
classes.  The  pastor  of  a  strong  church  declares : 
*'  The  Men's  Praying  Band,  which  met  at  a  cer- 
tain office  at  5  p.m.  each  Friday,  and  whose  mem- 
bers were  pledged  to  pray  for  one  another  and 
for  the  church  each  day  at  the  same  hour,  wher- 
ever they  might  be,  was  the  beginning  of  the 
greatest  spiritual  movement  in  the  history  of  our 
church."  These  groups  should  be  so  small  as 
to  be  informal.  The  first  meeting  or  two  should 
be  only  for  the  more  spiritual,  others  being 
brought  in  more  gradually. 

During  the  first  week  of  January  cottage 
prayer  meetings  might  be  held  each  day  for  the 
women  and  each  evening  for  the  men,  except  on 
the  regular  prayer-meeting  evening,  in  each  dis- 
trict of  the  church. 

During  the  second  week  a  series  of  sermons 
might  be  given  on  such  great  themes  as  "  God's 
Sovereignty,"  "  In  the  Beginning  God  .  .  .," 
"Man's  Divine  Possibilities,"  ''Thou  Madest 
Him  a  Little  Lower  than  God,"  "  Man's  Im- 
perfection and  Sin,  and  His  Possible  Perfec- 
tion," **  Christ  the  Divine  Saviour — Why  and 
How,"  "  What  Is  Expected  Socially,  Morally,  and 
Spiritually,  in  Private  and  in  Business  Life,  of  a 
Church  Member — of  One  Who  Bears  the  Name 
of  Christ  and  Calls  God  '  Father,' "  etc.  The 
autumn  sermons  deal  with  practical  problems 
and  these  with  great  principles. 

Fill  the  first  weeks  of  January  with  activity, 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       67 

prayer  meetings,  and  special  services,  gaining 
power  for  the  intensive  campaign  of  education 
and  service,  which  lasts  until  March.  If  only 
one  week  of  activities  is  feasible,  one  or  two 
evenings  should  be  devoted  to  district  prayer 
meetings,  with  services  at  the  church  on  other 
evenings.  In  some  cases  district  prayer  groups 
meet  first  on  New  Year's  eve,  before  the  '  watch- 
night  '  services,  and  continue  until  Sabbath,  and 
the  services  of  the  following  week  are  all  at  the 
church. 

The  church  must  pre-empt  the  closing  days  of 
the  old  year  and  the  opening  days  of  the  new 
year,  and  reclaim  them  from  dissipation.  The 
possible  spiritual  influences  of  these  days  are 
superior  to  those  of  Easter,  as  our  fathers  felt 
who  instituted  the  ''  week  of  prayer." 

A  communion  service  in  each  church  might 
well  mark  the  closing  hours  of  the  old  year  or  the 
first  morning  of  the  new. 

A  sermon  on  "  The  Proper  Observance  of 
Christmas,"  weeks  before  the  Christmas  activi- 
ties,  should  prepare  the  way.  Christian-giving 
should  be  substituted  for  heathen-getting.  Gifts 
to  the  poor  by  individuals  and  organizations, 
which  may  be  delivered  in  person,  with  hearty 
greetings,  will  emphasize  Christian  brotherhood. 
A  community  Christmas  tree  in  the  city  square 
will  be  a  sermon  to  all. 

The  campaign  should  be  definitely  launched 


68     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

with  a  church-wide  visitation  either  on  New 
Year's  Sunday  or  New  Year's  Day. 

The  first  Sunday  or  two  of  the  new  year 
should  be  "  Go-to-Church-and-Sunday-school " 
days. 

If  the  September  visitation  was  interdenomi- 
national, all  churches  should  at  this  season  simply 
visit  their  own  families  or  those  who  might  be 
interested  in  their  work  and  services.  Fre- 
quently pledge  cards  are  used  asking  individuals 
and  families  to  pledge  themselves  to  attend  all 
church  services,  to  conduct  family  worship,  and 
to  engage  daily  in  private  prayer  and  Bible 
study  throughout  the  year,  or  until  Easter,  or 
at  least  throughout  the  month. 

An  attractive  church  calendar  should  be  dis- 
tributed bearing  a  tasty  picture  of  the  church  or 
pastor,  or  both,  a  list  of  the  services  of  the 
church,  and  perhaps  various  other  features,  such 
as  a  plan  of  Bible  readings  for  a  year  or  a 
weekly  prayer  cycle. 

The  district  committees  will  be  responsible  for 
the  success  of  this  visitation,  for  inaugurating 
the  district  prayer  meetings,  and  for  promoting 
the  various  study  classes ;  but  the  enlistment  and 
special  training  of  the  visitors  will  be  similar 
to  the  autumn  campaign.  A  slogan  has  already 
been  suggested.  (See  Chapter  H  [D.].)  Some 
churches  make  the  visitation  on  the  Sabbath  pre- 
ceding New  Year's,  using  the  slogan,  ''  Close 
the  old  year  right;  go  to  church  tonight."    The 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       69 

social,  publicity,  and  other  features  of  the  Oc- 
tober campaign  will  be  repeated,  but  more  quietly. 
The  various  activities  will  be  put  before  the  pub- 
lic reverently,  but  efficiently.  Kindly  rivalry  will 
be  stimulated  between  the  districts  as  to  the 
number  of  visits  made,  the  attendance  at  services, 
etc.  "Strip  tickets"  (see  Publicity  [R])  may 
be  used  to  special  advantage  during  January  and 
February.  (If  no  visitation  and  membership 
campaign  was  conducted  in  the  autumn,  many  of 
its  special  objects  and  features  should  be  added 
in  this  campaign.) 

The  Spring  Harvesting  Campaign 

The  season  ending  with  Easter  should  be  most 
carefully  planned.  The  entire  campaign  since 
September  has  prepared  the  way.  The  fruits 
must  be  gathered  and  conserved  before  they  are 
dissipated  during  the  summer.  Besides  many 
new  members,  great  gains  should  be  made  at  this 
time  by  pledging  to  larger  service  the  old  mem- 
bers who  have  had  new  visions.  Definite  voca- 
tional pledges  should  be  secured,  enlisting  the 
young  people  for  the  ministry  or  for  missionary 
or  other  religious  life  work.  Everybody  should 
be  definitely  pledged  to  specific  service  during 
the  next  year. 

The  success  of  Billy  Sunday's  campaigns  de- 
pends largely  on  the  efficiency  with  which  pre- 
liminary Bible  study  and  prayer  meetings  have 
been  organized.    This  campaign — being  less  spec- 


70     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

tacular  and  more  normal — will  depend  even  more 
largely  on  the  efficiency  of  the  social  and  re- 
ligious activities  of  the  preceding  month. 

The  Lenten  campaign  begins  with  a  church- 
wide  or  city-wide  visitation,  usually  on  the  first 
Sabbath  of  March,  the  slogan  being,  "  Volunteer 
now,"  or  "  Become  a  naturalized  Christian." 
Special  efforts  are  made  to  promote  attendance 
at  all  services  during  the  month  and  to  enlist 
members  for  the  church. 

A  definite  list  of  individuals  to  be  reached  is 
prepared.  They  are  led  into  the  district  prayer 
meetings,  if  possible,  and  are  made  special  ob- 
jects of  prayer  and  personal  work  by  their  asso- 
ciates and  friends  and  by  the  district  committees. 
A  personal  worker's  class  or  conference,  or  a 
series  of  prayer-meeting  addresses,  with  the  pre- 
vious visitation  work,  has  developed  many 
capable  and  willing  workers.  They  may  have 
special  leaflets,  such  as  "  The  Win  One  Fellow- 
ship," by  Dr.  Conrad,  or  *'  One  to  Win  One,"  by 
Dr.  Todd.  "Recruiting  for  Christ,"  by  Dr. 
Stone,  and  "  Taking  Men  Alive,"  by  Dr.  Trum- 
bull, are  volumes  which  should  be  read  and 
studied. 

Special  sermons  each  evening  for  one  or  more 
weeks  are  very  desirable,  but  meetings  for  the 
workers — morning,  noonday,  afternoon  or  even- 
ing— for  men  alone,  for  women,  for  young  peo- 
ple, or  by  districts,  are  even  more  important. 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       71 

Daily  Union  noon-day  services  should  be  con- 
ducted in  at  least  one  center  in  each  city — at 
least  in  Passion  Week. 

In  many  churches  only  the  regular  services  are 
held,  but  these  have  an  evangelistic  and  devo- 
tional spirit.  The  evenings  are  free  for  com- 
munity and  group  meetings  and  for  personal 
work.  As  during  the  autumn  campaign,  many 
addresses  should  be  made  in  the  services  by  lay- 
men and  women.  The  mid-week  meetings  are 
made  far  more  prominent  than  usual. 

On  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  campaign  the  new 
members  are  received.  Many  churches  use 
Easter  as  "  Reception  Day,"  or  the  preceding 
(Palm)  Sabbath,  that  it  may  add  to  the  triumph 
of  the  Easter  service.  Other  things  being  equal, 
it  is  better  to  wait  until  the  Sabbath  after  Easter, 
so  that  the  results  can  be  more  fully  harvested, 
and  that  the  preliminary  education  for  member- 
ship may  be  more  complete.  The  church  should 
imitate  the  lodges  by  carefully  preparing  folks 
for  membership  and  by  making  the  service  of 
reception  most  impressive. 

The  church  year  should  not  close  until  May  or 
June,  so  that  the  follow-up  work  may  be  unin- 
terrupted. If  there  is  a  let-down  now  to  make 
up  reports  and  hold  business  meetings,  it  is  im- 
possible to  bring  enthusiasm  up  to  the  same  level 
again,  and  much  valuable  power  is,  therefore, 
wasted. 


72     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

A  conservation  program  should  be  carefully 
prepared  and  carried  out.  Efforts  should  be 
made  to  assimilate  all  the  newly  recruited  mem- 
bers and  friends.  Each  district  and  organiza- 
tion and  the  church  should  have  special  welcome 
services.  Suitable  indoor  and  outdoor  activities 
for  the  spring  and  summer — educational,  athletic, 
social,  and  evangelistic — should  be  arranged  for. 
Special  opportunities  for  advance  and  harvest, 
such  as  Children's  Days  and  Commencement 
Day  and  Mother's  Day,  should  be  taken  advan- 
tage of. 

Workers  should  be  registered  now  for  the  au- 
tumn and  winter  activities  of  the  church  and  all 
its  departments,  and  far-sighted  plans  should  be 
laid. 

A  finance  and  missions  campaign  should  be 
pushed  in  February  or  April, — see  Chapter  IX, 
(D.). 

During  the  Summer 

The  suggestions  under  (B.  3),  Chapter  I, 
should  be  carefully  studied.  The  summer  activi- 
ties will  depend  largely  upon  the  equipment,  the 
local  needs,  and  the  year's  program.  Loose  ends 
from  the  preceding  months  should  be  tied  up. 
The  autumn  work  should  be  fully  planned  and 
prepared  for.  The  love  of  outdoors  should  be 
catered  to  by  picnics,  auto  and  boat  excursions, 
pageants,  lawn  services  on  Sabbath  evenings,  out- 
door meetings  of  the  various  societies  and  classes. 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       73 

tennis  and  baseball  and  croquet  and  other  ath- 
letic sports,  etc. 

An  Iowa  church,  in  a  small  town,  organized  a 
garden  club,  a  canning  club,  a  corn  club,  a  poul- 
try club,  a  cooking  club,  a  potato  club,  and  other 
industrial  and  economic  activities,  having  the 
business  men  offer  prizes,  which  kept  the  children 
out  of  mischief  and  helped  to  prepare  them  for 
the  honest  business  of  life. 

**  Daily  Vacation  Bible  Schools  "  for  all  chil- 
dren under  i6  have  been  spreading  with  great 
rapidity.  One  denomination  which  had  only  600 
children  in  6  schools  in  Chicago  in  1912  enrolled 
4,700  in  24  schools  this  summer.  They  were 
just  as  successful  in  the  wealthy  neighborhoods 
as  in  the  factory  districts.  Such  schools  should 
be  opened  in  every  community.  The  daily  pro- 
gram consists  of  one  hour  for  industrial  work — 
basket  and  raffia  work,  sewing,  carpentering, 
etc. — a  second  hour  for  literary  and  patriotic  ex- 
ercises, calisthenics,  etc.,  and  a  third  hour  for 
religious  training.  One  hour  a  day  for  six  weeks 
devoted  to  explaining  and  memorizing  Scripture 
passages  and  stories  means  more  time  and  more 
religious  education  than  the  average  Sunday 
School  gives  in  a  year. 

Frequently  summer  Bible  classes  meet  on 
lawns  and  porches  with  great  success.  The  vari- 
ous organizations  may  take  the  mid-week  serv- 
ices for  two  or  three  months,  each  in  turn  pre- 
senting its  work  for  the  past  year  in  one  meeting 


74     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

and  its  plans  for  the  following  year  in  another, 
that  all  may  make  them  a  matter  of  prayer.  The 
evening  services,  even  the  morning  services,  may 
be  conducted  by  the  brotherhood  or  other  organ- 
ization. A  brass  band  or  choir,  in  a  park  or  on 
the  lawn,  will  attract  people  to  the  Sunday- 
evening  services  or  to  a  special  service  on 
Wednesday  or  Saturday  night. 

The  pastor  and  several  promising  members  of 
each  organization — Sabbath  School,  young  peo- 
ple's and  men's  and  women's  work — should  be 
sent  to  summer  training  conferences,  where  they 
will  receive  spiritual  inspiration  and  the  best  of 
ideas  for  their  present  and  future  church  work, 
the  church  and  societies  meeting  much  or  all  of 
the  expense. 

During  their  summer  vacations  college  and 
seminary  students  can  be  secured  to  do  special 
work  among  the  young  people  along  athletic  and 
social  lines  and  to  conduct  vacation  Bible-school 
and  other  classes  for  one  church  or  for  a  group 
of  churches. 

Doctors  and  lawyers  have  more  leisure  in  the 
summer,  and  can  be  enlisted  for  social  and  com- 
munity services  in  the  name  of  the  church,  such 
as  free  legal  advice,  free  treatment  for  cripples, 
or  for  poor  children  with  tonsils,  adenoids,  eye 
troubles,  or  summer  diseases.  One  church  ar- 
ranged to  have  autos  carry  the  shut-ins  to  church 
each  Sabbath  in  the  summer.  Another  had  "  Old- 
fashioned  Services  "  with  a  basket  lunch  between 


THE  FOLLOW-UP  CAMPAIGN       75 

the  morning  sermon  and  an  afternoon  musical 
service. 

Make  every  effort  to  minimize  the  loss  of  mo- 
mentum and  enthusiasm  during  the  summer. 
Publicity  suited  to  local  conditions  and  needs 
should  be  continued.  A  restroom  at  the  court- 
house or  the  Chautauqua  grounds  bearing  the 
name  of  the  church,  a  refreshment  booth  on  the 
fair  grounds,  an  outdoor  pageant,  a  lawn  fete, 
and  other  special  features  will  win  friends  for  the 
church,  as  will  an  outdoor  graphophone  concert 
on  the  church  lawn  one  evening  each  week. 

Union  church  services  should  be  held  in  the 
parks  or  tents,  if  possible,  especially  in  the  even- 
ing, and  a  special  religious  lecturer  may  be  se- 
cured for  a  series  of  popular  addresses,  after  the 
manner  of  a  Chautauqua.  Sabbath  Schools  may 
dispense  with  the  regular  class  lessons,  each  de- 
partment meeting  in  one  large  class  for  more 
popular  religious  class  studies,  for  special  music, 
map  drills,  historical  reviews,  etc.  Frequently 
churches  and  Sunday  Schools  have  received  great 
satisfaction  from  using  simple  cantatas,  readings 
from  religious  classics,  indoor  or  outdoor  stereop- 
ticon  lectures,  and  notably  the  new  "  sacred 
stories  in  song." 

The  Sunday  School  and  the  preaching  service 
may  both  be  shortened  and  consolidated  on  hot 
days. 

Give  special  attention  to  the  campers  near  by, 
to  the  tourists  at  hotels,  especially  to  the  country 


76     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

folk  who  can  be  visited  more  easily  and  induced 
to  come  to  church  while  the  roads  are  good. 

In  one  town,  while  the  four  churches  united 
their  evening  services  for  twelve  weeks,  each 
pastor  taking  his  turn,  the  other  three  pastors, 
except  during  their  vacations,  went  to  the  coun- 
try schoolhouses.  Entire  counties  have  been 
wonderfully  revived  in  a  single  summer  by  auto 
parties  of  laymen,  who  conducted  religious  serv- 
ices in  every  weak  church  and  in  the  schoolhouse 
of  every  neglected  district. 


VII 

FEDERATED  CITY  EFFICIENCY 
PROGRAMS 

(i.)  Why  Federated  Campaigns? 

THE  annual  efficiency  program  for  the  in- 
dividual church  should  be  adopted  inter- 
denominationally  in  every  city  and  com- 
munity. The  writer's  experience  is  that  this  can 
be  done  everywhere,  at  least  where  the  matter 
is  presented  by  an  expert.  Already  all  denomi- 
nations have  federated  in  many  cities  and  coun- 
ties to  carry  through  such  a  program  annually 
on  a  comprehensive  scale. 

Each  individual  church,  in  a  federated  move- 
ment, benefits  greatly  by  the  experiences  and 
plans  of  others.  Every  home  in  the  city  or 
county  can  be  visited  in  one  day,  each  church 
being  responsible  for  a  certain  area.  The  most 
indifferent  officers  and  members  can  be  aroused 
to  help,  so  that  their  church  may  not  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  list.  The  campaign  gives  incalcu- 
lable aid  in  manifesting  the  unity  and  power  of 
Protestantism  to  those  who  feel  that  CathoUcism 
and  Christian  Science  and  Russellism,  or  in- 
fidelity, are  growing  at  the  expense  of  the 
77 


78     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Church;  in  emphasizing  the  pre-eminence  of  re- 
ligion throughout  the  community;  and  in  arrest- 
ing the  attention  of  those  who  would  ignore  a 
single  church. 

Parades  and  Sunday  afternoon  or  evening 
mass-meetings;  union  training  conferences  for 
district  committee  men,  visitors,  publicity  men, 
personal  workers,  and  other  special  groups; 
Bible  conferences  and  church  efficiency  insti- 
tutes, and  the  aid  of  outside  experts,  can  all  be 
arranged  much  more  satisfactorily. 

A  liberal  budget  can  be  secured  more  easily. 
The  plan  always  appeals  to  business  men,  who 
will  respond  liberally. 

The  local  press,  where  a  constructive,  city- 
wide  educational  and  visitation  and  evangelistic 
program  is  carried  out,  will  use  bold  headlines 
both  to  announce  each  simultaneous  step  and  ser- 
mon subject  on  Saturday  and  to  report  them  on 
Monday.  One  church  is  a  small  fraction,  and 
makes  small  appeal  to  an  editor,  but  a  united 
Protestantism  with  a  big  program  can  get  abun- 
dant space,  enthusiastic  co-operation,  and  editorial 
notices,  both  because  it  is  so  businesslike,  because 
of  the  size  of  its  constituency,  and  because  such 
religious  unity  benefits  all  community  interests. 
Such  a  campaign  will  usually  result  in  a  better 
Church  Federation,  and  in  perennial  co-opera- 
tion along  all  religious  lines,  blessing  all  the 
churches  and  hastening  the  millennium  of  Chris- 
tian unity. 


FEDERATED  PROGRAMS  79 

The  publicity  especially  can  be  handled  on  a 
more  effective  and  economical  basis  since  one 
typesetting  and  one  distributing  agency  will  take 
care  of  all  the  billboard,  street-car  and  store-win- 
dow cards,  door-bell  hangers,  downtown  banners, 
buttons,  parades,  etc. 

The  largest  city  can  be  stirred  to  its  depths  by 
effectively  made  announcements  on  billboards,  in 
the  press,  by  public  mass-meetings,  and  other- 
wise, to  the  effect  that  all  Protestant  churches 
have  united  for  a  great  campaign,  that  every 
home  in  the  city  will  be  visited,  that  all  pastors 
will  preach  on  the  same  subjects.  It  will  be  still 
more  influenced  as  the  program  for  each  new 
month  manifests  the  same  practical  unity  of  the 
churches. 

A  broadside  of  sermon  reports,  covering  half 
or  all  of  a  page  each  Monday  morning,  all  on 
"  The  Pre-eminence  of  the  Church "  or  any 
other  one  subject,  will  set  the  city  to  thinking 
and  talking  that  subject.  A  column  or  half-page 
weekly  devoted  to  comparative  reports  of  the 
attendance  in  all  the  churches,  starring  the  most 
successful,  will  stimulate  the  sporting  enthusiasm 
of  the  public,  which  has  hitherto  been  offered 
newspaper  reports  of  competitions  only  in  the 
political  and  athletic  fields. 

The  success  of  Billy  Sunday  is  largely  due  to 
daring  operations  on  a  city-wide  scale,  with  all 
churches  co-operating,  with  vast  Bible  and  prayer 
group    activities,    with    an    adequate    force    of 


80     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

workers,  and  adequate  publicity.  Proportionate 
results  can  be  gotten  from  a  city-wide  campaign 
without  an  outside  evangelist  if  handled  effect- 
ively. 

(2.)  How  TO  Organize  a  Union  Campaign 

(A)  Win  several  key  pastors  and  laymen  to 
the  plan  by  personal  conferences  and  by  loaning 
or  giving  copies  of  this  manual. 

(B)  Secure  the  adoption  of  the  plan  in 
tentative  form  by  the  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion, the  Church  Federation,  the  Adult  Bible 
Class  League,  and  other  groups  of  religious 
leaders. 

(C)  Decide  on  a  headquarters,  usually  the 
Y.M.C.A. 

(D)  Secure  the  services  of  the  most  "com- 
petent counsel  "  available  for  enlisting  and  or- 
ganizing the  entire  community,  for  raising  the 
necessary  funds,  and  meeting  peculiar  problems. 
The  Church  Efficiency  Bureau  can  furnish  special 
experts  for  this  work. 

(E)  Secure  adequate  funds  for  the  campaign 
— for  publicity,  mass-meetings,  institute  speakers, 
etc.  This  can  easily  be  secured  by  one  or  more 
of  the  following  methods:  (i)  Pro  rata  sub- 
scriptions from  churches.  (2)  From  the  budget 
of  the  Church  Federation  or  Y.M.C.A.  (3) 
From  liberal  individuals.  (4)  From  special 
collections,  etc.  Usually  each  church  will  finance 
its  own  activities,  but  the  general  budget  should 


FEDERATED  PROGRAMS  81 

sometimes  include  aid  for  the  weaker  congrega- 
tions. 

(F)  Secure  a  full  understanding  of  the  cam- 
paign and  public  encouragement  for  it  from  the 
editors,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs,  lodges,  and  other  com- 
munity organizations. 

Have  the  Mayor  or  City  Council  issue  a  proc- 
lamation concerning  the  "  Go-to-Church  "  Cam- 
paign and  other  phases  of  the  movement. 

(G)  Secure  a  strong  executive  committee  of 
ministers  and  laymen,  with  special  committees 
on  **  publicity  "  and  on  ''  finance  "  who  will  go 
to  work  at  once.  Appoint  also  committees  on  the 
training  of  workers,  missions,  social  and  com- 
munity service,  parades  and  pageants,  theater 
and  other  mass-meetings,  district  prayer  meet- 
ings and  Bible  classes,  factory  meetings  and 
classes,  meetings  for  high-school  students  and 
children's  meetings,  work  for  women,  Adult 
Bible  Class  co-operation,  rural  evangelism,  ex- 
tension to  neighboring  communities,  etc. 

(H)  Work  out  in  detail  a  plan  of  campaign. 
No  matter  what  season,  it  is  wise  to  begin  with 
a  special  attendance  and  membership  campaign  of 
one  month,  as  outlined  in  Chapter  III,  unless  it 
is  after  the  middle  of  February,  when  this  may 
be  combined  with  the  Lenten  evangelistic  cam- 
paign. 

(I)  Some  churches  will  "want  to  be  shown.'' 
Allow  full  freedom  to  each  church  to  co-operate 


82     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

only  so  far  as  it  finds  best.  Small  co-operation 
brings  better  results  than  no  co-operation,  and 
prepares  the  way  for  large  co-operation.  Hos- 
tility and  indifference  will  be  disarmed  by  a 
year's  experience  or  by  a  reading  of  this  manual. 

(J)  Prepare  sermon  topics  covering  the  entire 
year,  in  harmony  with  the  campaign  outlined, 
urging  all  pastors  to  use  these  uniform  subjects, 
either  in  the  morning  or  evening,  on  the  days 
suggested.  These  sermon  topics  will  vary  from 
year  to  year.  Of  course,  all  churches  should 
observe  the  same  visitation  and  reception  days 
so  far  as  possible.  All  church  socials,  brother- 
hood banquets,  and  financial  canvasses  should  be 
on  the  same  day  in  all  the  churches,  if  possible. 

Thus,  all  the  Young  People's  Societies  of  one 
city  had  free  socials  on  the  same  evening,  issuing 
a  general  invitation  to  all  the  young  people  of 
the  city  to  go  to  the  reception  or  "  open  house  "  or 
entertainment  at  the  church  of  their  choice.  This 
arouses  competition,  prevents  **  rounders,"  and 
supplements  the  individual  invitations.  The 
men's  organizations  should  do  likewise,  also  the 
women's,  boys',  and  other  organizations. 

(K)  If  a  city  has  100,000  population,  district 
it  for  training  conferences.  Even  small  cities 
should  be  divided  into  districts,  with  an  inter- 
church  committee  responsible  for  promoting  dis- 
trict Bible  classes  and  prayer  meetings  and  visi- 
tation in  each  district.  Districts  may  be  divided 
into  sub-districts  and  sub-districts  divided  where 


FEDERATED  PROGRAMS  83 

necessary.  Have  full  co-operation  between  the 
federated  committee  and  the  denominational 
committee  in  each  district.  Usually  the  denomi- 
national districts  correspond  to  the  federation 
districts,  being  also  sub-divided  where  necessary, 
and  all  denominational  chairmen  in  a  district  are 
members  of  the  district  federation  committee. 

(L)  Eliminate  sectarian  and  divisive  ques- 
tions. Avoid  all  discussions.  Emphasize  the 
fundamentals. 

(M)  Arrange  union  mass-meetings,  with 
themes  appropriate  to  the  day,  with  outside 
speakers,  if  possible,  for  five  or  ten  successive 
Sunday  afternoons,  or  for  one  afternoon  a 
month.  Specialists  on  the  questions  of  church 
finance,  missions,  women's  and  men's  and  boys' 
and  young  people's  work,  religious  education,  so- 
cial service,  etc.,  should  be  secured  from  time  to 
time  for  Sabbaths  and  weekday  conferences,  to 
help  all  the  churches  of  the  city.  Or  a  Church 
Efficiency  Institute  of  a  week  or  ten  days  can  be 
arranged,  with  several  simultaneous  speakers, 
(See  Chapter  IX,  [F.].) 

(N)  All  possible  united  effort  should  be 
given  to  movements  for  civic  righteousness,  com- 
munity betterment,  social  reforms,  etc. 

(O)  During  the  mid-winter  campaign  an  inter- 
denominational Bible  institute  might  be  arranged, 
with  one  or  more  able  leaders,  each  of  whom  will 
conduct,  say,  two  courses  each  day  for  from  5  to 
20  days.    One  will  speak  at  mass-meetings  in  the 


84     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

afternoon  and  in  the  evening.  Another  will  con- 
duct classes  for  special  groups  at  the  Y.M.C.A., 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  or  the  central  high 
school. 

(P)  During  the  evangelistic  period,  or  at  any 
season,  a  tabernacle  campaign,  with  a  carefully 
selected  evangelistic  party,  may  be  arranged.  Or 
groups  of  churches  can  unite  in  evangelistic  serv- 
ices, with  local  or  outside  pastors  conducting 
the  services. 

Noonday  services  should  be  held  at  the 
Y.M.C.A.,  in  a  public  square,  in  rented  halls  or 
stores,  in  shops  and  factories,  in  the  public  school 
chapel,  for  the  high-school  students,  etc.  Special 
services  for  the  school  children  may  be  held  just 
before  or  after  school. 

(Q)  Competition  should  be  aroused  between 
churches  as  to  gifts,  and  in  many  other  matters 
such  as  Bible  question  competitions  similar  to 
old-fashioned  spelling  bees.  Develop  emulation 
also  between  the  men's,  women's,  young  people's, 
Sunday  School  and  other  organizations  and 
Bible  classes,  and  the  corresponding  departments 
of  other  churches,  having  them  federate  for  the 
study  of  their  common  tasks  and  to  promote 
Christian  unity  and  fellowship. 

(R)  Of  course,  it  will  be  impossible  to  secure 
perfect  co-operation  and  perfect  results  the  first 
year.  But  all  will  be  satisfied  and  larger  co- 
operation will  come  each  year. 

The   employment  of  an  expert   for  enlisting 


FEDERATED  PROGRAMS  85 

and  organizing  and  enthusing  the  churches  and 
their  forces,  and  for  solving  problems  out  of  his 
wealth  of  experience,  will  be  well  justified  by 
still  larger  results  in  unity  and  co-operation,  in 
attendance  and  membership,  in  constructive 
results. 


VIII 
PUBLICITY  COMMITTEE  ACTIVITIES 

THE  publicity  committee  for  the  campaign, 
whether  for  one  church  or  for  a  city, 
should  be  carefully  selected.  If  a  church 
already  has  such  a  committee,  add  a  live  wire 
from  each  organization,  who  is  a  member — pref- 
erably the  chairman — of  the  special  campaign 
committee  of  that  department.  Include  any 
editor  or  advertising  manager  of  store  or  factory 
who  is  available.  Of  course,  the  pastor  is  a  mem- 
ber, ex  officio,  of  this  as  of  all  other  commit- 
tees. 

For  permanent  use  the  committee  should  have 
constant  references  to  the  three  fertile  books  on 
church  advertising — ''  Publicity  and  Progress," 
by  Herbert  H.  Smith ;  "  Church  Publicity,"  by 
Dr.  Reisner ;  and  ''  The  Principles  of  Church 
Advertising,"  by  Dr.  Stelzle.  The  advertising 
campaign  will,  of  course,  depend  largely  on 
the  available  funds,  on  the  past  and  future 
policy  in  this  respect,  on  the  number  of  churches 
engaged,  etc.  Printers'  ink  should  be  regarded 
as  **  first  assistant "  in  the  campaign,  and  should 
be  used  liberally  both  in  the  newspapers  and  in 
special  printed  matter,  while  Uncle  Sam's  mail 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  87 

carriers,  as  *'  second  assistants,"  should  not  be 
far  behind. 

Some  publicity  points  of  special  value  for  the 
campaign : 

(A)  Publish  throughout  the  year  a  carefully 
prepared,  printed  or  multigraphed,  weekly  bul- 
letin. During  eight  weeks  beginning  the  Sabbath 
before  the  Visitation,  and  at  other  special  sea- 
sons, it  should  be  greatly  enlarged. 

(B)  Furnish  to  the  local  newspapers  plenty  of 
good  live  material  in  such  form  as  will  claim  good 
space  and  attentive  reading. 

(C)  In  every  window  of  every  church  home 
place  a  window  card,  with  pictures  of  the  church 
and  of  the  pastor,  with  an  announcement  such  as 
this  in  suitable  type  form :  "  Grand  October 
Rally  and  Go  To  Church  Campaign,  First 
Presbyterian  Church — Our  Church.  We  are 
going,  and  urge  you  to  go,  to  the  services,  espe- 
cially during  October."  Announce  the  various 
services  of  the  church  and  its  organizations,  with 
hours  of  meeting  and  some  token  of  the  welcome 
awaiting  them. 

(D)  In  every  business  house,  street  car,  and 
public  building,  place  window  cards :  "  Go  to 
Church  Next  Sunday  and  All  Next  Month  at 
the  First  Methodist  Church,  etc."  In  a  city- 
wide  campaign  the  invitation  would  begin: 
"  The  undersigned  churches  of  this  city  especially 
invite  you  and  your  friends  to  attend  the  church 
and  Sabbath  School  of  your  choice  each  Sabbath 


88     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

morning  and  evening  during  the  month  of  Oc- 
tober." The  heading,  *'  Go  to  Church  Cam- 
paign," and  a  list  of  the  participating  churches, 
should  be  printed  in  red. 

(E)  Prepare  a  handsome  four-page  folder  for 
distribution  by  the  visitors.  On  the  first  page, 
an  announcement  of  the  campaign  in  large,  tasty 
type,  with  a  hearty  invitation.  On  page  2,  a 
catchy  article,  "  Why  Go  to  Church  ? "  On 
pages  3  and  4 — a  sort  of  directory  of  the  church 
and  its  activities — the  names  of  the  officers,  hours 
of  meetings,  ages  and  classes  welcomed,  being 
given  in  connection  with  each  organization.  A 
suggestive  form  for  the  first  page  is  given  at  the 
close  of  this  chapter. 

Each  page  should  have  one  or  more  attractive 
pictures,  such  as  "  Our  New  Building,"  "  Our 
Officers,"  "  Some  of  Our  Husky  Boys,"  "  Our 
Big  Men's  Class"  "  Our  Fine  Summer  Camp," 
*'  Our  Kindergarten  at  Work,"  etc. 

If  the  campaign  is  interdenominational,  the 
folder  may  have  from  8  to  30  pages,  one  page  for 
each  participating  church  or  denomination.  If 
the  city  is  large,  include  a  map  of  the  city,  with 
the  churches  in  red,  for  the  sake  of  the  new- 
comers. 

(F)  On  each  Thursday  during,  and  just  pre- 
ceding, the  campaign,  a  colored  postcard  with  a 
picture  of  the  church,  or  a  multigraphed  letter 
can  be  sent  to  each  individual,  at  least  to  ab- 
sentees.   An  attractive  motto,  an  announcement 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  89 

of  attendance  on  the  preceding  Sabbath,  or  of  the 
subject  for  next  Sabbath,  may  appear.  The 
cards  may  be  signed  by  the  Sabbath-school 
teacher,  the  class  secretary  or  president,  the  pas- 
tor, the  congregational  or  Sabbath-school  visita- 
tion committee,  etc.  A  different  signature  may 
be  attached  each  week.  Use  an  addressograph  to 
address  the  material,  or  volunteer  help  can  be 
secured.  Personally  written  letters  should  be 
sent  by  all  teachers  to  their  pupils  at  the  open- 
ing, and  all  new  pupils  at  the  close,  of  the 
campaign.  Of  course,  letters  and  postcards 
are  only  supplemental — they  must  not  displace 
visits. 

(G)  Special  ribbons,  badges  or  buttons  may  be 
provided  for  all  members,  or  for  visitors,  to  wear 
during  the  month,  bearing  the  picture  and  name 
of  the  church,  or  *'  I  go  to  the  First  Lutheran 
Church,"  or  ''  Go  to  Church  Campaign,  First 
Christian  Church,"  etc. 

(H)  Hang  special  banners  over  the  pulpit  and 
the  Sunday-school  desk  before  visitation  Sunday 
and  through  the  campaign,  also  on  the  church, 
over  the  street  in  front  of  it,  and  over  down- 
town streets,  worded,  '*  Go  to  Church  and  Mem- 
bership Campaign."  "  Come  to  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church — the  Friendly  Church — Every 
Sabbath,  and  Bring  Your  Friends."  "  A  Hearty 
Welcome."  "  We  Expect  to  Double  Our  At- 
tendance." "  We  Have  i,ooo  Members,  but  We 
Want  500  More,"  etc. 


90     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

(I)  Arrange  a  parade  of  all  the  officers  and 
members  of  the  church  and  all  organizations  for 
the  first  Sabbath  afternoon  of  October ;  or  autos 
and  trucks  and  floats  may  be  used  on  a  weekday. 
Each  organization  marches  together  and  carries 
banners  bearing  its  name.  Various  slogans  and 
transparencies  advertise  the  church  and  each 
feature  of  the  movement. 

(J)  Theater,  street,  and  park  meetings,  per- 
haps with  a  brass  band,  on  Sunday  afternoons 
and  evenings  before  and  during  the  campaign 
will  be  very  helpful.  Suitable  stereopticon  slides 
or  moving  pictures  may  be  used  as  a  prelude  to, 
or  to  illustrate,  each  Sabbath  evening  address. 

(K)  Prizes  and  other  special  recognitions, 
free  boat  or  auto  rides,  free  dinner  or  entertain- 
ment or  ''  movie  "  tickets,  may  be  given  to  the 
classes  and  departments  and  individuals  which 
make  the  best  records. 

(L)  The  attendance  at  the  previous  service  of 
the  church  and  of  each  class  organization  and 
the  number  of  calls  made  should  be  announced 
each  Sabbath  on  a  blackboard ;  better  still,  in  the 
weekly  bulletin,  with  effective  comparisons  with 
the  same  period  or  day  of  the  preceding  week  or 
month  or  year,  showing  the  gains  in  membership 
and  attendance  week  by  week  in  each  depart- 
ment. Ribbon  or  blackboard  thermometers 
should  keep  the  goals  in  mind  and  show  how 
nearly  they  are  attained.  An  outdoor  clock  can 
be  used  for  the  church,  and  one  for  each  class 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  91 

and  department — one  hand  indicating  increased 
attendance  and  the  other  showing  gains  in  mem- 
bership. 

(M)  Blue  and  red  competitions  within  organ- 
izations, or  between  them,  are  very  helpful,  and 
reports  should  be  made  weekly. 

(N)  Make  weekly  reports  to  all  the  local 
newspapers  of  the  progress  in  numbers,  and  of 
the  various  social  and  other  meetings  by  the  vari- 
ous organizations. 

(O)  In  federated  campaigns  the  attendance  at 
similar  services  and  organizations  in  all  the 
various  churches  will  be  reported  and  compared 
in  each  church  each  week,  also  in  the  Monday 
newspapers.  Take  care  that  accurate  figures  be 
used.  With  the  actual  attendance,  the  ratio  of  at- 
tendance to  membership  should  be  computed  in 
ranking  the  different  churches  and  men's  classes, 
etc. 

(P)  In  a  federated  campaign  the  weekly  bul- 
letin may  be  standarized,  from  4  to  24  pages  of 
similar  matter  being  used  in  all  the  bulletins. 
One  page  gives  a  comparative  statement  of  the 
progress  of  all  the  churches  and  departments, 
several  pages  give  religious  extracts  or  sermons 
relating  to  the  sermon  topic  of  the  week,  and 
each  church  will  have  2  or  4  cover  pages  specially 
printed  about  its  own  activities. 

(Q)  A  bulletin  board  outside  the  church 
should  announce  each  week :  "  We  had  400  at 
church,  500  at  Sabbath  School,  and  300  at  the 


92     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

evening  service  last  Sabbath.  Help  us  make  the 
figures  larger  next  Sabbath." 

Care  should  be  taken  that  the  campaign  is  not 
all  froth.  There  will  of  necessity  be  much  froth, 
but  a  determined  effort  for  permanent  results 
must  underlie  every  activity. 

(R)  Special  attendance  strip  tickets,  like 
"  movie "  tickets,  can  be  used,  numbered  and 
dated  like  duplex  envelopes,  one  for  each  Sab- 
bath of  the  campaign,  to  be  detached  and  placed 
in  a  receptacle  each  Sabbath  only  if  present. 
In  the  fall  there  will  be  four  or  five  in  a  strip.  In 
the  winter  campaign,  one  for  each  Sabbath  from 
New  Year's  to  Easter.  For  the  Sabbath  School 
a  different  colored  strip  is  used,  if  desired. 

(S)  Paid  advertisements  in  the  Saturday 
papers  are  invaluable  where  funds  are  available 
and  sufficient  free  space  cannot  be  secured. 
These  and  other  advertisements  should  be 
changed  weekly. 

(T)  Leave  invitation  cards  at  hotels  and  res- 
taurants each  Saturday  evening.  Inclose  each 
card  in  an  envelope  addressed  to  a  guest,  to  be 
delivered  on  Sunday  morning.  A  printed  an- 
nouncement of  all  church  services  should  hang 
in  hotel  lobbies  and  other  public  buildings. 

(U)  A  homeopathic  motto  or  text  might  be 
tastily  printed  in  good  type  on  good  cardboard 
and  distributed  in  show-windows  each  week,  or 
neatly  lettered  on  the  bulletin  board  in  front  of 
the  church. 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  93 

(V)  Special  effort  should  be  made  to  secure 
adequate  reports  of  the  sermons  in  the  Monday- 
papers.  Sometimes  a  sermonette  on  the  theme 
for  the  next  day  is  furnished  to  the  local  papers 
each  Saturday  by  the  pastors  in  turn,  and  printed 
with  the  announcements.  Sometimes  an  entire 
sermon  is  printed  on  Monday. 

(W)  Circulars  can  be  inclosed  in  envelopes 
and  an  army  of  boys  enlisted  to  distribute  them 
each  Saturday,  or  plain  invitation  cards  can  be 
used  instead.  "  Russellism  "  makes  much  of  this 
plan. 

(X)  Use  cartoons.  The  following  ideas  will 
be  suggestive :  "  The  Church  Upholds  Society  " 
a  block  of  granite  labeled  '*  The  Church  "  and 
upholding  a  building  or  several  blocks,  labeled 
''  The  World,"  with  such  terms  as  "  Commercial 
Prosperity,"  "  Science  and  Education,"  "  Morals 
and  National  Life,"  etc. 

'*  Go  to  Church  Sunday — Everybody  Will  Be 
There " — a  picture  of  a  church,  with  vast 
crowds,  old  and  young,  pushing  in. 

"  All  One  Army,  We " — several  columns 
marching  abreast,  each  column  headed  by  a  ban- 
ner bearing  the  name  of  one  of  the  denomina- 
tions co-operating  in  the  campaign. 

"  The  Church  Is  Growing " — a  diagram 
showing  7  persons  out  of  each  lOO  belonged  to 
the  Church  in  1800  in  America.  Today  24  out 
of  each  100. 

(Y)  Furnish  the  heads  of  families  where  dis- 


94     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

trict  prayer  meetings  are  to  be  held  with  invita- 
tion cards  like  that  below.  Sometimes  they  are 
made  out  in  the  name  of  the  committee  instead 
of  an  individual. 


/  earnestly  invite  you  to  meet  with 

our  neighbors  in  my  home 

for  a  little  while 


[time] 

(Name) 

(Address) 

Parlor  Prayer  Meeting 


(Z)  Use  electric  signs  over  the  streets  and 
advertise  by  slides  thrown  on  screens  in  movie 
theaters. 

Announcement  in  Church  Bulletin 
OF  September  19 

Hurrah  for  Our  Church! 

The  pastor  and  officers  have  adopted  plans  for 
a  "  grand  forward  movement  "  campaign,  to  con- 
tinue one  year. 

Our  first  purpose  in  this  campaign  is  to  put 
our  church  "  on  the  map,"  to  let  everybody  in 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  95 

the  community  know  who  we  are  and  where  we 
are,  that  we  are  doing  business,  and  that  we  ex- 
pect to  do  a  far  bigger  business. 

The  officers  have  voted  to  try  to  add  25  per 
cent  to  the  membership  of  both  the  church  and 
the  Sunday  School  within  the  year,  and  to  in- 
crease the  average  attendance  at  all  meetings  of 
the  church  and  its  organizations  at  least  50  per 
cent — 100  per  cent  where  possible.  The  men's 
class  will  try  for  an  increase  of  300  per  cent. 

The  month  of  October  is  to  be  a  "  Go  to 
Church  and  Rally "  campaign.  We  expect  to 
break  all  records  for  attendance  at  every  meet- 
ing on  the  first  Sunday  of  October  and  to  keep 
the  attendance  growing  throughout  the  month, 
until  everyone  has  the  habit. 

On  Sunday,  September  25,  a  visitation,  church- 
wide,  is  to  be  made  between  2.30  and  5  p.m. 
At  least  25  per  cent  of  our  members  will  go  out 
in  teams  of  two,  to  call  at  the. home  of  every 
family  which  is,  or  ought  to  be,  connected  with 
our  church ;  to  advertise  the  campaign,  and  to 
urge  attendance  and  membership  by  leaving 
printed  literature  and  by  personal  explanations. 

Let  every  member  of  the  church  and  congre- 
gation pray  earnestly  and  give  all  the  time  they 
can  to  help  make  this  visitation,  and  the  autumn 
attendance  and  membership  campaign  which  will 
follow,  the  most  successful  work  in  the  history 
of  the  church.  Christianity  is  the  greatest  thing 
in  the  world.    It  is  the  foundation  of  morals  and 


96     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

ideals,  and  so  is  the  foundation  of  intelligence 
and  prosperity,  as  well  as  the  way  of  salvation 
for  the  individual  and  the  world. 

First  Page  of  Folder  To  Be  Distributed  by 
THE  Visitors 

The  churches  of  Springfield,  whose  names  ap- 
pear below,  extend  to  you  and  to  all  your  friends 
a  hearty  invitation  to  attend  all  their  services. 

You  will  always  be  most  welcome.  But  we 
are  ready  and  anxious  to  give  you  a  special  wel- 
come at  every  service  and  in  special  socials  and 
entertainments  during  the  month  of  October, 
which  has  been  set  aside  as  a  go-to-church  month 
by  vote  of  the  Ministerial  Alliance  and  the 
Church  Federation.  The  newspapers,  the  com- 
munity leaders,  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and 
other  agencies  unite  with  us  in  urging  you  to  re- 
call, now  that  vacation  is  over,  the  primary  im- 
portance of  religion.  It  is  the  basis  of  morals 
and  ideals,  the  primary  essential  of  civic  right- 
eousness, social  progress  and  economic  pros- 
perity. 

As  a  good  citizen,  will  you  not  show  your  in- 
terest in  the  Church  by  attending  the  church  and 
Sabbath  School  of  your  choice  each  Sabbath 
throughout  October?  You  will  lose  nothing. 
You  will  gain  much. 

The  accompanying  folder  tells  you  something 
of  the  work  and  plans  of  the  various  churches, 
which  never  before  were  so  united  in  their  pur- 


PUBLICITY  ACTIVITIES  97 

pose.  Throughout  the  year  they  will  all  work 
together  on  the  same  program. 

"  Come  thou  with  us  next  Sunday,  and  we  will 
do  thee  good." 

Come  tonight,  too — special  music ! 

Announcements  in  Church  Bulletins  of 
City- WIDE  Campaign 

Hurrah  for  the  Churches  of  Our  City! 

The  churches  of  Springfield  are  entering  upon 
the  greatest  religious  campaign  in  the  history  of 
our  city. 

A  businesslike,  city-wide,  church-efficiency  cam- 
paign has  been  arranged  for  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Ministerial  Association  by  a 

committee  of  leading  laymen  representing  

churches  with  over  church  members  and 

over     Sabbath-school     members.     Every 

church  belonging  to  the  Evangelical  Alliance  will 
join  in  it. 

Why  this  Campaign  Now? 

Because  religion  is  the  greatest  thing  in  the 
world. 

Because  an  unprecedented  revival  of  interest 
in  the  moral  and  social  and  spiritual  teachings  of 
Christ  is  sweeping  over  our  land,  such  a  move- 
ment is  especially  timely. 

Because  there  is  room  in  our  churches  for  a 
vast  increase  in  membership  and  attendance  in 
every  department. 


98    A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Because  the  churches  can  accomplish  so  much 
more  when  united. 

Because  such  a  campaign  has  been  so  success- 
ful in  other  places,  and  because  our  churches 
should  use  up-to-date  methods. 

General  Plans  for  the  Campaign 

It  is  not  intended  to  employ  an  outside  evan- 
gelist or  outside  plans,  but  to  follow  comprehen- 
sive and  efficient  plans  adapted  to  local  condi- 
tions. All  churches  will,  so  far  as  they  can, 
conform  loyally  to  the  standard  programs  and 
do  the  same  work  simultaneously. 

An  unprecedented  effort  will  be  made  to  exalt 
religion  in  our  city,  to  emphasize  the  funda- 
mentals of  Christianity  rather  than  doctrinal 
differences,  to  bring  the  greatness  of  religion  and 
the  urgency  of  its  claims  home  to  every  indi- 
vidual in  the  city — rich  or  poor,  old  or  young, 
old  resident  and  new-comer. 


IX 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS  OF  AN 
EFFICIENT  CHURCH 

THE  adoption  of  an  annual  program  of 
evangelism  and  education,  of  social  and 
spiritual  activities,  such  as  is  presented 
in  this  manual,  is  essential  to  church  efficiency. 
But  this  is  only  the  beginning  of  church  efficiency. 
Every  church  should  study  the  question  from 
the  modern  viewpoint  and  from  all  angles. 

Efficiency  is  not  a  matter  of  theory.  It  is 
common  sense  and  knowledge  carried  to  the 
highest  degree.  It  is  the  science  of  securing  the 
utmost  of  results,  under  given  conditions  with 
a  minimum  expenditure  of  time  and  money,  by 
the  most  scientific  study  of  the  goals  to  be  at- 
tained and  of  the  tools  and  methods  and  equip- 
ment available.  Scientific  management,  which 
is  a  very  large  element  of  efficiency,  is  yet  in  its 
infancy  but  already,  by  its  use,  banks  and  stores, 
factories  and  railways,  are  increasing  their 
dividends  from  50  per  cent  to  1000  per  cent. 

Men  have  been  laying  bricks  for  thousands  of 
years  but  a  modern  scientific  study  of  brick- 
laying enables  a  bricklayer  to  place  three  bricks 
with  the  expenditure  of  time  and  energy  formerly 


100  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

required  for  one.  The  laborer  who  could  load 
thirteen  tons  of  pig  iron  per  day  a  few  years 
ago,  in  the  Homestead  Steel  plant,  can  now  load 
forty-five  tons  with  the  same  labor. 

Christ  was  the  first  efficiency  expert.  By 
studying  His  work,  we  find  that  He  observed  all 
of  the  principles  emphasized  by  modern  efficiency 
experts.  Surely  His  Church  should  use  the  best 
of  methods  and  of  common  sense  in  the  service 
of  God  who  is  the  source  of  all  modern  methods 
and  plans  and  efficiency  ideals  .and  ideas.  We 
cannot  here  discuss  all  the  essential  elements  of 
church  efficiency.  We  can  touch  on  only  a  few 
of  the  most  important. 

(A.)     A  Large  Outlook 

The  greatest  element  of  inefficiency  in  the 
average  church  is  its  limited  outlook.  While 
its  condition  is  rapidly  improving,  it  is  still  piti- 
fully lacking  in  vision  and  ambition.  It  is  con- 
tent with  the  past.  It  fails  to  make  the  best  use 
of  its  resources.  Like  the  ten  spies,  it  sees  the 
giants  and  problems  in  the  way  and  prefers  re- 
maining at  Kadesh-Barnea  with  its  disadvantages 
to  making  the  effort  for  larger  opportunities. 
While  it  succeeds  in  many  of  its  undertakings, 
it  forgets  that  "  not  failure  but  low  aim  is 
crime."  Like  the  Israelites  at  the  Dead  Sea,  it 
prefers  to  return  to  the  traditions  of  Egypt 
rather  than  to  seek  freedom  through  a  difficult 
advance.     "  It  refuses  to  walk  by  faith,  prefer- 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS        101 

ring  to  walk  by  light  in  the  sight  of  past 
achievements." 

"  Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it,"  is  one 
text  which  the  church  of  today  greatly  needs.  In 
this  age  which  seeks  large  leadership  in  the  solu- 
tion of  its  moral  and  scientific  and  political  ques- 
tions, in  this  day  of  the  world's  unrest  in  Chris- 
tian and  in  heathen  lands,  in  the  light  of  men's 
hunger  for  satisfaction  for  their  physical  and 
social  and  intellectual  and  spiritual  needs,  God 
says  to  the  Church,  "Feed  my  sheep."  As 
Christ  "grew  in  wisdom  (intellectually)  and 
stature  (physically),  and  in  favor  with  God 
(morally)  and  man  '*  (socially),  so  the  Church  is 
to  see  that  every  individual  and  community  and 
nation  has  full  opportunity  for  complete  religious 
development  and  life.  But  as  the  disciples  could 
only  see  that  the  Five  Thousand  were  "so 
many  "  when  Christ  commanded,  "  Give  ye  them 
to  eat,"  so  the  average  church  of  today  protests 
that  a  broad  social  and  missionary  policy  is  im- 
possible, forgetting  that  it  is  their  first  duty  to 
obey  and  to  trust  God  for  adequate  resources 
to  carry  out  His  plans. 

The  Church  is  not  to  do  all  things.  The  State 
and  the  business  world,  the  schools  and  the 
newspapers,  all  have  their  part  to  do.  The 
Church  is  not  primarily  an  athletic  or  a  scientific 
or  a  political  or  a  commercial  agency,  but  it  must 
claim  and  perform  its  duty  to  be  the  teacher  and 
inspirer  of  all  these  since  Christ  is  to  be  King  and 


102  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Teacher  of  all.  It  is  to  teach  by  message  and 
example.  It  is  to  lead  by  imparting  a  vision 
which  comprehends  all  these  and  by  training 
leaders  for  all. 

(B.)  A  More  Comprehensive  Program 

The  average  church  has  an  incomplete  and 
inadequate  program.  Too  often  it  has  no  pro- 
gram. Many  a  pastor  who  says,  ■"  I  have  a 
program,"  simply  refers  to  a  program  for  his 
young  people  or  for  his  women,  to  his  sermon 
course,  or  to  his  plans  for  his  men. 

Each  church  should  adopt  a  definite  and  broad 
and  far-sighted  program ;  which  shall  include  the 
performance  of  all  its  duties  to  its  members,  to 
its  community,  and  to  the  world;  which  shall 
unify  and  co-ordinate  and  comprehend  all  the 
programs  and  activities  of  all  the  societies.  Such 
a  program  should  be  outlined,  not  simply  for  one 
month  or  one  year,  but  for  five  years  ahead — ^yes 
for  fifty  years.  The  Church  should  look  far  in 
advance,  foreseeing  the  religious  and  social 
problems  of  tomorrow  and  their  dangers,  taking 
special  care  to  train  future  leaders  to  meet  the 
former  and  formulating  policies  to  minimize  the 
latter.  Of  course  any  program  will  be  modified 
and  perfected  constantly  in  the  light  of  experi- 
ence and  changing  conditions. 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       103 

•    (C.)  Efficiency  in  Organization  and 
Administration 

No  church  can  attain  its  maximum  power  and 
efficiency  until  it  is  organized  along  modern  lines 
in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  efficiency. 
A  special  committee  on  Efficiency  should  be  ap- 
pointed in  every  church  to  discover  ways  and 
means  of  improving  the  existing  organization  and 
its  organizations  and  management ;  to  recommend 
definite  changes,  both  minor  and  major. 

On  this  vast  and  important  subject,  we  can 
simply  touch  on  a  few  of  the  most  essential 
points.  A  manual  will  be  issued  in  1916  on 
"The  Efficient  Management  of  a  Modern 
Church  "  by  the  same  author  as,  and  uniform  in 
style  with,  this  volume. 

The  first  essential  of  organization  is  unity  of 
purpose.  Too  often  the  various  societies  of  a 
church  have  no  unity  of  aim  or  goals,  and  the 
activities  of  one  interfere  with  or  nullify  the 
activities  of  others,  or  of  the  church  itself.  All 
heads  of  organizations  and  departments  should 
confer  frequently.  It  has  been  found  most  de- 
sirable to  require  written  reports  from  each  de- 
partment at  a  quarterly  conference  of  the  offi- 
cials of  all  departments,  or  at  a  prayer  meeting, 
concerning  work  accomplished  during  the  quar- 
ter, together  with  a  verbal  statement  of  plans  for 
the  next  quarter. 

Another  essential  is  democracy.     The  women 


104  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

and  the  young  people  should  have  representatives 
on  every  congregational  board  and  committee  for 
the  sake  of  their  consecration,  of  their  larger 
enthusiasm  and  persistent  efforts  for  results,  of 
their  influence  on  their  associates,  and  as  under- 
studies for  leadership. 

Another  essential  is  unity  of  plan.  Each  or- 
ganization from  the  Junior  Band  to  the  Men's 
Brotherhood  should  be  organized  along  the  same 
lines  as  the  church.  Every  department  should 
have  the  same  committees  as  the  church,  per- 
forming the  same  functions,  so  that  the  child 
will  be  perfectly  at  home  in  each  new  organiza- 
tion that  he  joins,  and  will  master  church  man- 
agement as  he  works  on  his  '  primary '  com- 
mittee. 

We  must  use  what  manufacturers  and  experts 
know  as  the  unit  system.  To  illustrate :  we  have 
already  suggested  that  every  standard  church 
should  have  "  Publicity  "  and  "  Social  "  and 
"  Visitation  and  Membership  "  committees  which 
will  secure  the  appointment  of  corresponding 
committees  by  each  organization  and  will  aid 
such  committees  to  plan  and  perform  their  work, 
co-ordinating  all  their  activities  so  that  there 
shall  be  no  overlapping  or  overlooking,  but  every 
member  of  the  congregation  shall  be  fully  looked 
after  in  that  regard.  Carefully  selected  com- 
mittees organized  along  similar  lines,  with  sim- 
ilar church-wide  responsibility,  should  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  pastor  or  official  board  on  "  fi- 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       105 

nance,"  "  social  and  community  service/'  "  de- 
votional life,"  "  religious  education "  in  all  its 
phases,  "  buildings  and  equipment,"  etc.  Each 
district  committee  might  well  have  similar  sub- 
committees. All  such  congregational  com- 
mittees should  be  Commissions  with  large  powers 
of  initiative.  Usually  each  is  constituted  of  an 
executive  committee  of  three  or  six  (perhaps 
two  men,  two  women,  and  two  young  people), 
together  with  the  chairman  or  other  representa- 
tives of  the  corresponding  committee  in  each 
society  and  department. 

To  convert  the  leaders  of  a  church  to  modern 
ideals  and  methods  of  church  management,  to 
induce  them  to  reorganize  the  official  machinery 
and  plans,  it  is  often  necessary  for  those  who 
have  a  large  vision  to  employ  a  church  efficiency 
expert  to  aid  in  inspiring  and  converting  the 
others  and  to  give  counsel  out  of  his  wide  ex- 
perience in  the  reorganization  and  reconstruc- 
tion of  churches  with  pecuHar  conditions. 

(D.)  Modern  Equipment  and  a  Liberal 
Financial  Budget 

In  former  days,  the  question  of  finance  was 
of  slight  importance  to  an  American  church. 
The  members  lived  cheaply  and  the  pastor  could 
wear  homespun  and  raise  potatoes.  Their  log 
churches  were  still  better  than  the  homes  of  the 
members.  Sunday  Schools  and  church  organs 
were  universally  regarded  as  heresies.     Today, 


106  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

an  adequate  educational  and  social  program  for 
a  modern  church  demands  a  parish  house  with 
gymnasium  and  dining  and  social  rooms;  and  a 
modern  Sunday-school  plant  with  separate  class- 
rooms, maps,  charts,  the  expense  of  sending 
Sunday-school  leaders  to  training  institutes,  etc. 
Church  buildings  should  be  in  keeping,  inside  and 
out,  with  the  homes  of  their  members.  Every 
church  should  own  a  manse. 

When  the  ''  simple  life  "  prevailed,  and  each 
church  had  a  membership  of  only  50  or  75,  with 
officers  who  visited  each  family  in  the  parish 
quarterly,  and  when  all  community  interests  were 
simple,  no  paid  assistant  was  needed  by  the  pas- 
tor. But  the  pastor  of  today  who  has  400  mem- 
bers or  more,  must  each  year  get  acquainted 
with  more  faces  and  names  and  receive  more 
members  than  did  his  grandfather  in  ten  years; 
must  compete  with  the  publicity  power  of  many 
lodges  and  clubs  and  "  movies  " ;  must  direct  a 
dozen  organizations  inside  his  church,  and  keep 
in  touch  with  scores  of  civic  and  social  and 
economic  interests  outside  in  order  to  under- 
stand his  people  as  his  grandfather-preacher 
did ;  and  must  prepare  two  weekly  sermons  while 
a  hundred  other  matters  claim  his  attention.  He 
must  have  an  assistant  to  attend  to  correspond- 
ence and  to  keep  the  Church  and  Sunday-school 
card  indexes  up  to  date  each  week;  to  help  look 
after  the  boys  and  girls  and  manage  the  visita- 
tion and  educational  programs;  to  operate  the 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       107 

multigraph  and  addressograph  essential  to  proper 
educational  and  publicity  activity,  to  send  out 
financial  statements  and  follow-up  letters. 

Office  equipment  and  a  stereopticon  (better 
still,  a  moving-picture  outfit),  an  athletic  field, 
and  much  other  equipment  should  be  secured. 
A  weekly  or  monthly  magazine  should  be  issued, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  church,  such  as  can  be 
secured  from  Revell  and  Co.'s  "  Church  Maga- 
zine Service." 

To  make  it  fully  efficient,  the  average  modern 
church  needs  a  much  larger  budget.  A  small 
per  cent  can  be  so  added  to  the  expenditures  of 
any  church  as  to  vastly  increase  the  quality  of 
the  members  and  the  number  added  each  year. 
The  interest  on  an  investment  of  $25,000  or 
$100,000  in  buildings  amounts  to  a  good  sum, 
and  in  view  of  this  investment  and  of  the  fixed 
overhead  expense  in  its  present  budget,  it  is  cer- 
tainly good  business  for  a  church  to  add  from 
20  per  cent  to  50  per  cent  to  its  budget  when 
it  may  add  from  50  per  cent  to  500  per  cent  to 
its  efficiency. 

The  leaders  of  every  church  should  make  dili- 
gent effort  to  enlarge  the  local  church  income, 
and  the  appropriations  for  salaries,  publicity, 
equipment,  etc. ;  while  missionary  gifts  should 
usually  be  doubled  or  quadrupled.  Debts  should 
be  promptly  paid  and  deficits  eliminated.  Money 
making  by  suppers  and  fairs  should  be  reduced 
to  a  minimum. 


108  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

Adopt  the  modern  duplex  envelope  system  of 
finance,  with  a  paid  bookkeeper  (or  at  least  an 
efficient  treasurer),  with  business-like  plans  for 
the  prompt  collection  of  arrears  in  pledges,  for 
financial  publicity,  audits,  and  especially  for  a 
thorough  every-member  canvass.  Include  the 
local  expenses  of  the  Sabbath  School  and  all 
other  organizations  with  the  pastor's  salary  in 
one  complete  budget  and  avoid  that  multiplicity 
of  appeals  which  hinders  liberal  giving.  Strive 
to  secure  the  utmost  of  liberal  pledges  on  the 
weekly  basis  from  every  member  and  adherent 
of  the  church,  from  4  years  old  to  84,  to  be 
paid  as  a  part  of  the  weekly  worship. 

Have  a  definite  place  in  your  church  program 
for  a  thorough  annual  finance  campaign,  at  the 
close  of  the  October  or  Mid-Winter  or  Lenten 
campaign,  while  enthusiasm  is  at  flood  tide,  in- 
cluding one  or  more  sermons  on  Christian 
Stewardship.  Have  the  matter  presented  at 
every  service  for  two  or  three  weeks  by  the 
pastor  and  officers,  after  which  the  canvass  will 
be  made  on  a  Sabbath  afternoon  by  sufficient 
teams  to  complete  it  in  three  hours. 

Full  suggestions  as  to  organizing  such  a  cam- 
paign most  successfully,  inspiring  the  members 
to  give,  training  the  canvassers,  conducting  the 
canvass,  collecting  pledges  and  otherwise  follow- 
ing up  the  work,  or  where  the  financial  problem 
is  peculiarly  difficult,  expert  personal  help  can  be 
secured    from   your   denominational   boards    or 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       109 

from    the    "  Church     Efficiency     Bureau "     of 
Chicago. 

Results  can  always  be  greatly  increased  where 
all  churches  of  a  community  push  the  finances 
simultaneously,  having  mass-meetings  for  the  in- 
spiration and  education  of  their  officers  and  can- 
vassers and  members,  with  expert  assistance. 

(E.)  Businesslike  Methods 

A  church  should  be  as  businesslike  as  a  factory. 
All  boards  and  committees  meet  regularly  to 
transact  their  business  just  as  in  a  bank. 
•Vouchers  should  be  required  in  every  financial 
transaction.  Audits  should  be  made,  at  least 
annually,  of  the  accounts  of  every  treasurer  of 
every  organization,  both  to  remove  that  tempta- 
tion which  comes  both  to  church  treasurer  and  to 
bank  cashier  on  whom  no  check  is  kept  and  to 
insure  confidence  in  the  church. 

Deeds,  insurance  policies  and  all  church  rec- 
ords should  be  kept  in  a  safe  place.  In  too  many 
cases,  such  records  are  not  made  in  legal  form 
and  the  organization  is  in  danger  of  serious  loss. 
A  clear  title  should  be  insured  when  property 
is  bought,  while  building  contracts  and  all  other 
matters  should  be  attended  to  with  scrupulous 
promptness  and  care.  A  church  should  pay  all 
its  bills  promptly  at  the  first  of  each  month,  even 
if  it  is  necessary  to  borrow  at  the  bank. 

Occasionally  a  church  is  found  with  no  record 
of  its  members  or  baptisms  and  many  a  new 


110  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

pastor  has  wasted  hundreds  of  dollars'  worth  of 
time  and  energy  trying  to  secure  the  information 
which  the  officers  should  have  had  in  a  complete 
card  index.  A  printed  annual  manual  will  be 
worth  many  times  the  cost. 

(F.)  The  Spirit  of  Co-operation  and 
Federation 

Not  only  should  the  utmost  of  harmony  be 
maintained  between  all  organizations  within  a 
church,  but  earnest  effort  should  also  be  made 
to  secure  the  utmost  of  co-operation  and  unity  in 
program  and  method  between  all  the  local 
churches. 

The  religious  forces  of  a  community,  of  all 
denominations,  should  be  as  united  as  the  forces 
of  the  saloon.  A  properly  organized  and  sup- 
ported Church  Federation  will  be  a  tower  of 
strength  to  all  the  churches  and  moral  forces  of 
the  community.  If  it  is  not  feasible,  strengthen 
the  Ministerial  Association  and  organize  Fed- 
erations of  the  men's  classes,  of  the  women's 
organizations,  of  the  young  people's  societies,  of 
the  Sabbath  Schools  and  of  all  kindred  organi- 
zations of  all  the  churches.  Correspond  with  the 
Federal  Council  of  Churches,  Associated  Chari- 
ties Building,  "New  York. 

The  Young  People's  Societies  might  hold  a 
union  monthly  service,  likewise  the  men's  and 
women's  societies.  A  city  rescue  mission,  park 
services,  a  tent  or  tabernacle  campaign,  a  per- 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       111 

manent  inter-denominational  religious  weekly,  a 
Sunday  afternoon  or  evening  Forum,  institutes 
along  educational  and  financial  and  social  and 
other  lines,  a  community  survey,  a  community 
social  center  and  club-house,  a  boys'  work  di- 
rector, a  restroom,  an  athletic  field,  a  normal 
training  class,  a  Bible  institute,  and  many  other 
activities  have  been  most  successfully  carried  on 
under  such  auspices.  In  a  Connecticut  town,  all 
churches  united  in  financing  a  "  Church  office  " 
with  complete  equipment,  stenographer,  etc.,  to 
serve  all  the  co-operating  churches. 

In  an  Iowa  community,  the  Methodist  Parish 
House  was  used  for  the  athletic  and  social  ac- 
tivities of  the  women  and  girls  of  the  community 
while  the  Presbyterian  Parish  House  was  simi- 
larly used  for  the  boys  and  men.  In  a  New 
England  town,  a  Union  Men's  Bible  Class  with 
a  Baptist  teacher  met  in  the  Congregational 
Church  each  Sabbath  morning  while  the  Union 
Women's  Class  met  in  the  Baptist  Church  with  a 
Congregationalist  teacher. 

In  smaller  cities  and  towns,  two  or  three 
churches  frequently  federate,  usually  with  one 
pastor  who  is  paid  a  good  salary,  selected  for 
five-year  periods  in  turn  from  the  denomina- 
tions represented.  In  other  cases,  using  one 
building,  they  have  two  pastors  who  alternate  in 
preaching  in  town  and  in  the  country  districts. 
In  other  communities,  they  unite  to  form  one 
church,~as  where  a  Methodist  and  a  Presby- 


112  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

terian  Church  united,  using  the  Methodist  build- 
ing and  the  Presbyterian  manse  and  calling  a 
Congregational  minister. 

One  illustration  of  how  such  Interdominational 
Federation  will  aid  in  promoting  church  effi- 
ciency in  all  lines :  in  a  Michigan  city  of  about 
50,000,  the  writer,  as  secretary  of  the  Church 
Efficiency  Bureau,  has  aided  in  perfecting  plans 
for  a  city-wide  efficiency  campaign  to  cover  three 
years.  In  addition  to  simultaneous  visitations, 
evangelism,  etc.,  activities  planned  include  a  Mis- 
sionary Conference  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Laymen's  Movement ;  a  conference  conducted  by 
the  Religious  Education  Association;  a  Bible 
Institute  continuing  19  days  with  two  Bible 
teachers ;  a  stewardship  and  church  finance  cam- 
paign to  increase  the  budgets  and  salaries;  a 
Church  Efficiency  Institute  on  methods  of  church 
organization  and  administration.  During  the 
three  years,  visits  will  be  secured  of  specialists 
on  church  architecture,  church  music,  and  on 
boys*  and  men's  and  women's  and  young  people's 
activities.  A  social  and  religious  survey  of  the 
community  will  be  made  as  the  basis  for  "  City 
Planning — Social  and  Religious."  A  series  of 
ten  Sunday  afternoon  mass-meetings  will  be  held 
each  year  with  prominent  speakers  from  a  dis- 
tance (an  ex-governor  and  many  other  promi- 
nent laymen,  college  presidents,  etc.,  are  already 
engaged),  some  of  whom  will  remain  to  address 
the  ministers  of  the  city  and  county  on  Monday 


SIX  ESSENTIAL  FACTORS       113 

morning,  for  a  mass-meeting  on  Monday  evening, 
and  in  some  cases  for  special  parlor  or  dinner 
conferences  with  men  or  women  of  wealth  or 
with  other  groups.  A  teacher  training  course 
will  be  conducted  by  a  specialist  who  visits  this, 
as  one  of  a  circuit  of  six  cities,  weekly  through- 
out the  year. 

Most  of  these  activities  could  be  developed  in 
any  city.  They  can  be  financed  easier  in  a  large 
program  than  separately.  They  should  be  scat- 
tered through  two  or  three  years.  Experts  will 
remain  from  a  day  to  a  week  as  necessary.  All 
denominations  will  be  represented  among  the 
speakers,  and  editors  and  theological  leaders  will 
be  included.  The  author  will  be  most  happy  to 
help  plan  and  finance  such  city-wide  campaigns. 

A  visiting  speaker  secures  a  better  hearing 
than  a  local  pastor,  for  "  distance  lends  enchant- 
ment." The  stranger  can  be  advertised  more 
aggressively  and  there  is  only  one  chance  to  hear 
him.  The  "  big  guns  "  of  European  armies  illus- 
trate how  one  or  two  addresses  by  men  of  special 
ability  and  training  can  accomplish  in  a  certain 
line  what  a  score  of  addresses  by  local  men 
would  not.  Especially  is  this  true  among  the 
intellectual  and  social  aristocrats  who  must  be 
successfully  evangelized  in  some  way,  and  who 
think  themselves  superior  to  the  local  pastors. 


APPENDIX  A 

INSTRUCTIONS  TO  VISITORS 

In  addition  to  the  general  inspiration  and  training 
given  in  various  ways,  at  the  prayer  meetings,  training 
conferences,  etc.,  a  special  instruction  sheet  should  be 
put  in  the  hands  of  each  visitor  before  the  visitation, 
and  carefully  studied.  It  might  be  used  as  the  basis 
of  the  conference  training.  The  following  is  sugges- 
tive ;  and  copies  can  be  secured  from  the  Church 
Efficiency  Bureau  at  a  trifling  cost: 

Purposes   of  the    Visitation 

1.  To  promote  acquaintance  and  Christian  fellow- 
ship, both  for  the  visitors  and  the  visited. 

2.  To  commend  our  church  to  everyone  as  a 
friendly   church. 

3.  To  boost  religion — to  give  a  new  emphasis  to 
the  importance  of  spiritual  things. 

4.  To  boost  our  own  church — her  pastor,  her  music, 
her  methods,  her  plans,  her  societies,  her  Sunday 
School,  and  all  her   interests. 

5.  To  revive  those  who  have  grown  cold  through 
vacation. 

6.  To  tell  of  the  "  go-to-church "  campaign  and  to 
arouse  such  interest  as  will  secure  the  attendance  of 
everyone  at  all  the  church  services,  and  in  the  Sab- 
bath School  and  other  organizations. 

7.  To  enroll  as  many  new  members  as  possible  in 
each  organization. 

115 


116     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

8.  To  secure  information  concerning  possible  new- 
families,  new  members,  etc.,  who  might  be  placed  on 
the  calling  and  visitation  lists. 

9.  To  enroll  in  the  Home  Department  or  the  "  Week- 
day Women's  Class "  those  who  cannot  attend  the 
Sabbath  School  at  the  regular  hour. 

10.  To  demonstrate  the  enthusiasm  and  the  loyalty 
of  our  church  people. 

Instruction  to  Callers  ,\ 

1.  Co-operate  with  your  captain  in  every  detail, 
especially  by  attending  the  training  conferences  and 
making  the  calls  promptly. 

2.  Make  calls  between  2:30  and  6:00  p.m.  on  Sun- 
day afternoon.  The  earlier  the  hour  the  better.  If 
some  are  out  return  at  a  later  hour.  Complete  your 
list  if  possible.  Those  whom  you  do  not  find  on 
Sunday  call  on  before  Wednesday  evening  so  that  a 
complete  report  may  be  made. 

3.  Report  to  your  captain,  not  later  that  6  :oo  p.m., 
the  number  of  calls  made  and  the  results,  that  as 
complete  a  report  as  possible  of  the  day's  work  may  be 
made  at  the  evening  service. 

4.  Tell  how  our  church  mortgage  was  burned  re- 
cently. 

5.  Tell  of  the  results  of  our  work  last  year,  es- 
pecially  

6.  Tell  all  about  our  fine  Sabbath  School,  its  organi- 
zation, its  workers,  and  its  splendid  growth. 

7.  Induce  as  many  as  possible  to  enroll  in  one  of 
the  organized  Bible  classes, — for  Men,  Women,  Young 
People,  etc.  Tell  of  the  competition  between  the 
various  classes  and  the  various  churches. 

8.  Tell  of  the  warm  welcome  awaiting  them  in  the 


APPENDIX  A  117 

church  vestibule   and  of   the   social   half-hour  at  the 
close  of  the  service. 

9.  Tell  of  the  free  church  entertainment  and  social 

on   and  of  the  free  socials  for  the  various 

organizations  to  which  all  are  invited. 

10.  Tell  of  the  work  of  the  Woman's  Society  and 
of  the  Brotherhood  and  of  the  various  young  people's 
societies,  and  secure  members. 

11.  Secure  all  information  possible  concerning  pro- 
spective new  members  and  families,  as  to  calls  which 
ought  to  be  made  and  questions  that  ought  to  be  an- 
swered. 

Note  all  the  information  gained,  as  well  as  changed 
addresses,  on  the  back  of  each  card  as  soon  as  secured. 
It  must  be  in  written  form  to  be  of  any  value. 

Do  not  fail  to  invite  everyone  to  the  special  serv- 
ices on  Sunday  evening,  telling  of  the  special  music 
and  addresses,  and  especially  urge  attendance  next 
Sunday  morning. 

12.  Do  not  fail  to  attend  the  supper  for  all  the 
visitors;  and  the  Visitation  Echo  Meeting  on  Wednes- 
day evening. 

Notes: 

At  the  holiday  season  the  instructions  should  em- 
phasize the  various  district  prayer-meetings,  Bible 
classes,  socials,  and  all  the  classes  and  services,  and 
urge  family  worship,  personal  prayer  and  Bible  study, 
etc.  At  Lenten  visitation,  suitable  suggestions  as  to 
the   Campaign  would  be   made. 

On  every  call,  emphasize  to  the  utmost  the  pre- 
eminence of  religion  and  of  the  Church,  the  pre- 
eminence of  the  Church  over  its  organizations,  the 
obligations  of  each  individual  to  the  Church  because 
of  what  it  has  done  for  society,  the  need  of  every 
individual  for  the  Church,  etc. 


APPENDIX  B 


SOME  BLANK  FORMS 

These  are  not  complete — merely  suggestive.  All 
forms  should  be  worked  out  to  suit  local  conditions 
and  permanent  plans. 

TO  SECURE  VOLUNTEERS  FOR  PERSONAL 
EVANGELISM 

(Do  not  ask   volunteers — draft   them — for  visitations) 

Please  sign  this   enrollment  card  and  either  hand  or 
mail  to  the  minister. 

Desiring  that  my  life  shall  count  the  most  possible 
in  the  progress  of  Christ's  Kingdom,  I  cheerfully  sub- 
scribe myself  a  member  of  the  "  Win  One "  Fellow- 
ship, and  ask  my  minister's  co-operation  in  securing 
personal  commitment  to  Christ,  and  membership  in 
His   Church. 


(Write  here  the  name  of  the  person  you  seek  to  interest) 
(Address) 

Yours  in  the  "Win  One"  Fellowship, 

(Sign  your  own  name  here) 


(Your  address) 
118 


APPENDIX  B 


119 


For  an  Interdenominational  Religious  Census,  a 
standard  card  follows.  For  ordinary  visitation  work, 
a  much  simpler  card  should  be  used,  adapted  to  the 
ends  involved.  Often  it  is  better  to  ask  no  informa- 
tion— to  simply  give  a  warm  invitation. 
HOME  VISITATION  CARD 

Block  Number 

Street ;    and   House    Number 

Name    


Nationality White 

Name  of  Church  Attended 

House  Vacant Not  at  Home. 

Roomer Servant 


Colored. 


CLASSIFICA- 
TION 

Und'r 
3 

3  to  12 

13  to  18 

Over  19 

Boys 

Girls 

Men 

Tng 
W'mn 

Men 

W'mn 

Total 

Number  in 

Family 

Give  Name  of 
s    S 

Communicants  of 
Local   Church 

Comm.unicants  of 

Not  Communi- 
cants 

REMARKS 


CHURCH  PREFERENCES 
Put  X  opposite  Church  preferred 


Baptist 

Catholic,     Greek 

Catholic,     Roman . . , 
Christian    Science.  . . 

Church    of    God 

Congregational     . . . . 
Disciples   of    Christ. 

Episcopal     

Evangelical     

Friends    

Jewish    Synagogue . . 
Lutheran    


Methodist     Episcopal . 
Methodist  A.    M.    E., 

New    Jerusalem 

Presbyterian     

Presbyterian,    United. 
Reformed    Church. .  . . 

Unitarian    

United    Brethren 

Universalist    

United    Evangelical. . . 

Unclassified    

None    


Visitor's  number. 


Date. 


120     A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

A   BRIEF   FORM   TO   BE   USED   BY   VISITORS 

A  more  elaborate  form  should  be  used  where  possible 

AN  INVITATION 

We  come  today  with  a  cordial  invitation  to  you 
from  every  Church  and  Sunday  School  in  this  com- 
munity. If  you  attend  the  services  of  the  Church  and 
Sunday  School  of  your  choice  regularly,  all  extend 
greetings;  if  you  do  not,  all  join  in  a  most  earnest 
request  that  you  do  so.  We  want  to  assure  you  a 
hearty  welcome. 

In  Behalf  of  all  Churches  and  Sunday  Schools 
in  this  Community. 


This  card  can  be  prepared  in  many  different  forms. 
Different  colored  paper  can  be  used — as  well  as  dif- 
ferent headings — to  distinguish  non-members,  children, 
students,  sex,  etc. 

"INDIVIDUAL"    CARD    INDEX 

Name 

Date  received From  Where 

Phone,  Home Ofifice 

Home    Address    

Business   Address    

Birthday Marriage   Anniversary 

Occupation  or  Need 

Special   Interests    


Special  Friends 
Remarks    


Offices  held.... 
Work  assigned. 
When  called  on. 


APPENDIX  B  121 

A  GOOD  VISITORS'  ASSIGNMENT  BLANK 

M.. 

during  the  week  (or  month)   of will 

you  please  call  on  the  persons  or  families  whose  names 
are  given  below? 

Kindly  fill  in  the  dates  of  your  visits,  give  any  re- 
marks you  think  would  be  helpful,  and  hand  to  the 
district  chairman  (or  pastor)  or  place  on  the  collection 

tray    before If,    for    any    reason,    you 

cannot  make  the  calls,  report  the  same  at  once.  EACH 
CARD  MUST  BE  RETURNED  WITH  FULL 
DATA  FOR  FILING  AT  THE  CHURCH  OFFICE. 

In  calling,  you  will  do  well  to  have  love,  courage, 
cheerfulness,  and  tact.  Boost  for  the  church  and  get 
enthusiastic  for  the  Kingdom  of  God,  Make  friends. 
Do  not  be  afraid  to  smile. 

If  done  faithfully  and  in  the  spirit  of  Christ,  this 
will  prove  one  of  the  richest  blessings  you  have  ever 
enjoyed.  It  will  help  you  to  answer  our  Lord's  prayer 
which  we  should  daily  pray :  "  Thy  Kingdom  come, 
Thy  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven  so  on  earth." 

Yours  in  His   Service, 

Pastor  or  District  Chairman. 

Note — ^With  each  name  should  be  printed  a  space 
for  address,  date,  data,  remarks,  etc. 


(Obverse  of  above) 
CALLS  TO  BE  MADE 

Name  


Address 


Information 


Visitor's  Report 


122  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

PERENNIAL  CALLING  ASSIGNMENT  CARD 

FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

Battle  Creek,  Michigan 
OMce  Telephone  825 

191— 

Dear    Fellow-Worker : 
Will  you,  at  your  earliest  convenience,  call  on  

Street 


Information  and  Suggestions. 


Confer  with. 


Report   in   writing   to    District   Chairman   or    Office 
Assistant  the  result  of  your  visit,  with  any  suggestions. 
George  E.  Barnes,  Minister 
LuciLE  Honey,   Office  Assistant 


{Obverse  of  above) 


.^_ 


APPENDIX  B 


123 


Others  in   Family 


Date  of  Birth  or 
Approx.  Age 


Baptized 


Church  Member 


When   Received 


Bible  School 


Young  Peo.   Soc 


Missionary  Soc. 


Ladies'  Aid 


Boys'  or  Girls' 
Club 


Brotherhood 


Contributor 


124  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

A    POST    CARD    KEPT    IN    SEAT    RACKS    FOR 
STRANGERS 

This  church  has  a  welcome  for  all  strangers.  We 
are  glad  you  are  here  today.  We  want  to  know  you 
and  we  want  you  to  know  us.  All  Traveling 
men,   Transients,   Visitors   in   the   city,   Newcomers   to 

or  any  person  who  is  unidentified  with 

a  church  and  would  like  to  have  a  church  home — can 
help  us  realize  our  aim  by  writing  address  (in  the 
city  or  elsewhere)  as  indicated  below.  Drop  this 
card  in  the  collection  plate,  hand  it  to  an  usher,  or 
put  a  one  cent  stamp  on  the  other  side  and  mail  it 
in  the   first  convenient  mail  box. 

The  Pastor  and  Social  Committee  invite  you  to 
tarry  at  the  close  of  service  and  make  yourself  known. 

When  you  are  next  in  ,  worship  with  us 

again. 

Name   

Town  or  Street 

Date State 

"Let  Us   Know  Each   Other." 


{To  use  in  March  Campaign) 

ARE  YOU   A    NATURALIZED    CHRISTIAN? 

SIGN   YOUR   APPLICATION    NOW. 

I  take  God  to  be  my  Father. 
I  take  Jesus  Christ  to  be  my  Saviour. 
I  take  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  my  Guide. 
I  take  the  Bible  to  be  the  rule  of  my  life. 
I  take  Christian  people  to  be  my  associates. 
I  take  Christian  work  to  be  my  duty. 
I  dedicate  myself  to  the  Lord,  and  this   I   do   freely, 
deliberately,  sincerely,  and  forever. 

I  wish  to  unite  with  the  Church. 

Name    

Address  


APPENDIX  B  125 

PASTOR'S  INFORMATION  CARD 

{To  keep  in  Pews) 


Name 

Address. 


Kindly  fill  out  the  blanks,  check  proper  item,  and 
drop  in  the  offering  plate. 

Stranger  at  the  services. 

Prospective  member. 

Prospective  S.  S.  members. 

Moved  to  the  above  address. 

Desires  a  call. 

Not  at  church  lately. 

Not  at  Bible  School  lately. 

Disaffected — and  why. 

Sick  Needy 

Neglected  Lonesome 

Interested  Newcomers 

Can  Sing  Can  Play 

Over  for  additional  information,  names, 

and  remarks. 

Sign    


126  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 


AN  "ENROLLMENT  FOR  SERVICE"  CARD 

Can  be  used  at  any  visitation.  It  might  include  a 
pledge  to  family  worship,  to  private  Bible  study,  and 
prayer,  etc.,  as  well  as  pledges  to  specific  service.  The 
following  was  used  in  one  church: 

"To  each  one  his  work" — Mark   13:34. 

As  a  member  of  the Church  of I  con- 
fess myself  in  need  of  fellowship  with  Christ's  people,  and  re- 
sponsible in  a  measure  for  the  life  and  growth  of  the  Church 
local  and  the  Church  universal.  I  therefore  cheerfully  promise 
that,  so  far  as  earthly  means  and  strength  will  permit,  I  will 
co-operate  with  my  fellow-members  in  carrying  on  the  work  of 
the  Church  to  the  extent,  and  along  the  special  lines,  indicated 
below.  If  I  find  myself  with  increased  strength,  means  or 
opportunity,  I  will  add  accordingly  to  the  obligations  which  I 
herewith  express. 

1.  I    will    attend    the    regular    church    services, 

A.    M 

P.   M 

Prayer-meeting 

2.  I  will   attend  and  participate  in  the  work  of  the  Sabbath- 

school  

The   Ladies'  Missionary   Society 

The   Chapel   S.    S 

The  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E 

The  Junior   C.   E 

The  Men's  Brotherhood 

The Society 

3.  I  will  attend  every  Communion  Service,  unless  providentially 

prevented 

4.  I   will  try  to  bring  each  week  to   a  church   service  at  least 

one   person   who   has  not  accepted    Christ   or   who   has 
apparently   become   indifferent 

5.  I  will  try  to  lead  at  least  one  person  to  an  acceptance  of 

Christ    and    membership    in    His    Church    during    the 
year 


APPENDIX  B  127 

6.  I  will  pray  daily  for  a  blessing  from  God  upon  the  preach- 

ing and  teaching  of  the  Word  and  the  faith  and  efforts 
of  all  Christians 

7.  I  will  subscribe  for  at  least  one  of  our  denominational  papers 

or  magazines,  with  a  view  to  keeping  informed  of  the 

Church's  work  and  needs 

(Only  the  head  of  the  family  need  sign  this.) 

8.  I    will    visit    the    sick ,    call    upon    newcomers 

furnish  flowers  for  the  church ,  serve  as  sub- 
stitute S.  S.  teacher ,  greet  strangers  at  serv- 
ices  ,  do  any  work  assigned 

9.  I   will  contribute  as  I  believe  Christ  would  wish  me  to   do, 

to  the  current  expense  and  the  benevolent  funds  of 
this  church 

[o.  I  will  keep  a  list  of  the  obligations  I  have  here  recognized, 
as  a  help  to  faithfulness  and  regularity  in  discharg- 
ing them 


NAME 

ADDRESS. 


NOTE — This  blank  is  authorized  by  the  officers  of  this  church 
to  be  sent  to  all  our  members,  in  the  confident  hope  that  it  will  be 
a  means  toward  securing  a  greater  degree  of  co-operation  and 
efficiency  in  promoting  the  work  of  the  Kingdom.  It  is  to  be 
filled  out,  signed  and  RETURNED  TO  THE  PASTOR  for  the 
information  and  use  of  the  Session  only.  To  each  family  will 
be  sent  as  many  copies  as  there  are  members  of  the  church  in  it. 
Every  member  is  expected  to  fill  out  and  return  one.  Please  at- 
tend to  the  matter  upon  receipt  of  this  communication,  which 
contains  an   addressed  return-envelope   for  your   convenience. 

First,  prayerfully  consider  whether  you  have  been  doing  all 
that  could  reasonably  be  expected  from  you  in  the  use  of  spiritual 
privileges  and  the  discharge  of  religious  obligations.  Then  mark 
a  cross  in  as  many  of  the  blank  spaces  as  you  would  feel  under 
obligation  to  do  with  Christ  sitting  by  your  side. 

RETURNS  ARE  EXPECTED  FROM  ALL  WHO  CONSIDER 
THEMSELVES  COMMUNICANT  MEMBERS  OF  THIS 
CHURCH. 


128  A  MODERN  CHURCH  PROGRAM 

POSTCARD— TO  ABSENTEES 

TRINITY  CHURCH 

Dear  Friend: 

We  missed  you  last   Sunday  at  our  services.     We 
hope  it  will  be  possible   for  you  to  be  with  us  next 
Sunday  to  enjoy  and  be  helped  by  the  fellowship  and 
worship.     We  will  look  for  you. 
Yours  cordially, 

(Signed  by  Pastor  or 
District    Chairman.) 


POSTCARD— TO    STRANGERS    AFTER   FIRST 
ATTENDANCE 

TRINITY  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

Pastor 

Home  Phone  5058 — Bell  Phone  2236 

Dear  Friend: 

We  are  glad  to  have  had  you  present  with  us  in  our 
church  services  on   Sunday. 

We  hope  you  found  them  helpful  and  that  it  will  be 
possible  for  you  to  worship  with  us  again, — this  Sun- 
day, and  regularly. 

Yours  sincerely, 


PRINTED  IN   THE  UNITED   STATES  OF  AMERICA 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 

012  01091   4861 


DATE  DUE 

j'r     •* 

Wmm^ 

DEMCO  38-297 

